Beezus and Ramona Read Free Page B

never.”
    Embarrassed, Beezus handed Miss Evans Big Steve the Steam Shovel . “Mother gave me the money to pay for the damage,” she explained.
    The librarian turned the pages of thebook. “Well, you didn’t miss a page, did you?” she finally said to Ramona.
    â€œNo,” said Ramona, pleased with herself.
    â€œAnd it will never, never—”
    â€œI’m awfully sorry,” interrupted Beezus.
    â€œAfter this I’ll try to keep our library books where she can’t reach them.”
    Miss Evans consulted a file of little cards in a drawer. “Since every page in the book was damaged and the library can no longer use it, I’ll have to ask you to pay for the whole book. I’m sorry, but this is the rule. It will cost two dollars and fifty cents.”
    Two dollars and fifty cents! What a lot of things that would have bought, Beezus reflected, as she pulled three folded dollar bills out of her pocket and handed them to the librarian. Miss Evans put the money in a drawer and gave Beezus fifty cents in change.
    Then Miss Evans took a rubber stampand stamped something inside the book. By twisting her head around, Beezus could see that the word was Discarded . “There!” Miss Evans said, pushing the book across the desk. “You have paid for it, so now it’s yours.”
    Beezus stared at the librarian. “You mean…to keep?”
    â€œThat’s right,” answered Miss Evans.
    Ramona grabbed the book. “It’s mine. I told you it was mine!” Then she turned to Beezus and said triumphantly, “You said people didn’t buy books at the library and now you just bought one!”
    â€œBuying a book and paying for damage are not the same thing,” Miss Evans pointed out to Ramona.
    Beezus could see that Ramona didn’t care. The book was hers, wasn’t it? It was paid for and she could keep it. And that’s not fair, thought Beezus. Ramona shouldn’t gether own way when she had been naughty.
    â€œBut, Miss Evans,” protested Beezus, “if she spoils a book she shouldn’t get to keep it. Now every time she finds a book she likes she will…” Beezus did not go on. She knew very well what Ramona would do, but she wasn’t going to say it out loud in front of her.
    â€œI see what you mean.” Miss Evans looked thoughtful. “Give me the book, Ramona,” she said.
    Doubtfully Ramona handed her the book.
    â€œRamona, do you have a library card?” Miss Evans asked.
    Ramona shook her head.
    â€œThen Beezus must have taken the book out on her card,” said Miss Evans. “So the book belongs to Beezus.”
    Why, of course! Why hadn’t she thought of that before? It was her book, not Ramona’s.“Oh, thank you,” said Beezus gratefully, as Miss Evans handed the book to her. She could do anything she wanted with it.
    For once Ramona didn’t know what to say. She scowled and looked as if she were building up to a tantrum. “You’ve got to read it to me,” she said at last.
    â€œNot unless I feel like it,” said Beezus.
    â€œAfter all, it’s my book,” she couldn’t resist adding.
    â€œThat’s no fair!” Ramona looked as if she were about to howl.
    â€œIt is too fair,” said Beezus calmly. “And if you have a tantrum I won’t read to you at all.”
    Suddenly, as if she had decided Beezus meant what she said, Ramona stopped scowling. “O.K.,” she said cheerfully.
    Beezus watched her carefully for a minute. Yes, she really was being agreeable, thought Beezus with a great feeling of relief.And now that she did not have to read Big Steve unless she wanted to, Beezus felt she would not mind reading it once in a while. “Come on, Ramona,” she said. “Maybe I’ll have time to read to you before Father comes home.”
    â€œO.K.,” said Ramona happily, as she took Beezus’s