Caddie Woodlawn

Annabelle doesn’t cry or tell Mrs. Woodlawn what happened, and that evening she is quiet and does not brag about Boston.

The next day Tom proposes that they do somersaults in the barn. Annabelle agrees, but with less enthusiasm than the day before. When Hetty enters the barn, she watches as Caddie slips “an egg down the back of Annabelle’s blouse” (238). When Annabelle cries, Hetty gets her mother, filling her in on the other tricks. Mrs. Woodlawn singles out Caddie for punishment, banishing her to her room until the following morning. When Tom explains that he is equally at fault, Mrs. Woodlawn says she finds Caddie’s behavior most egregious because she acted unladylike and has neglected her obligations of hospitality.

In her room Caddie feels “stung by injustice” (240). She takes some of her belongings and wraps them in a towel, stowing them under her bed and planning to run away when everyone is asleep. She feels that no one will miss her, and maybe “they would adopt Annabelle in her place” (242). Caddie figures she can live off the land until she can find Indian John, who she is sure will allow her to live with his people.