3 Amy's crime

Chapter 3 Amy's crime One morning, Meg came down to find Amy sobbing her heart out over the kitchen table. "I'm dreadfully in debt," Amy wept. "What do you mean?" asked Meg. Amy sniffed. "I owe a dozen pickled limes at school. They're all the fashion. The girls keep buying them and I eat theirs and now I must pay them back, but I don't have any money." "How much do you need?" said Meg, opening her purse.

"Oh thank you, Meg darling!" Amy cried, hugging her. "I'll buy them on the way to school." She didn't tell Meg that limes had been forbidden. The news that Amy had limes soon spread. As the class began, a girl who disliked Amy shot up her hand. "Please sir, Amy March has limes in her desk!" The teacher was furious. He made Amy throw the plump limes out of the window, one by one. Then he caned her hands in front of the entire class.

"You won't go back," their mother comforted Amy that night. "That school is full of spoiled, badly brought-up children. Still, it was your fault too. You did break the rules. "I h-had t-to..." Amy couldn't stop crying. "It was so humiliating not having any pickled limes." "I'll teach you at home instead," Jo offered later, picking up her hat as she spoke. "Th-thank you," Amy gulped. "Where are you going, Jo?" "To see a play with Laurie."

"Take me with you," begged Amy. "No," said Jo firmly. "You're too young." "Oh, please..." Amy wheedled. "No." "You'll be sorry, Jo March," Amy yelled at her. "And I just offered to teach you!" Jo yelled back. "Spoiled brat," she added, slamming the door on her way out.

When Jo came back from the play, she started looking for her notebook. With panic in her voice, she asked if anyone had seen it. "Beth? Meg? Amy? Do you know where it is? The blue one, with all my stories in it?" Everyone shook their heads, but Amy blushed a guilty red. "Amy, you've got it!" cried Jo. "No I haven't. I burned it." "Burned!" The whole family knew how precious the book was. Jo had worked on it for months, hoping some of the stories might even be good enough to print. Jo shook Amy till her teeth chattered together, crying passionately, "You wicked girl! I can never write those stories again! I'll never forgive you!" Beth flew to cc..fort Jo while Meg scolded Amy.

"I feel dreadful," Amy said at bedtime. "Please forgive me Jo. I'm very, very sorry." "I'll never forgive you," Jo repeated. "It was an abominable thing to do." Amy turned away. "Now I wish I hadn't said sorry," she snapped. "And I'm not. So there!"