The little red purse

This is a picture of my brother about 20 years ago, but it was the best photo I had that showed my little red purse (hanging on the closet door). This is a story about that purse that happened when I was about 7 or 8 years old and my sister was 9 or 10...

I had that little red purse but rarely used it, it just hung on the closet door. My sister and I each had our own marble collections. My sister had a few marbles that I liked and wanted for myself. I took them out of her bag, wrapped them in a tissue and stuck them in my purse. My plan was to leave them there for a while (I thought that maybe she would forget about them) and then I could "find" them later and they would be mine. Genius, I know!

Well imagine my shock and surprise a few days later when she picked up the red purse and brought it to me.

"Shannon, what's in this purse?" she asked me.
"I don't know, how should I know?" I answered defensively, not looking at her.
"Well open it."

I opened it slowly and still saw the wadded up tissue containing the marbles, but also a note. I pulled out the note, and read it. I don't remember anything of what it said, but it was a friendly note from my sister, signed and dated the previous year. She knew nothing of the marbles. For fun she was trying to make it seem like she had put a note in there a year ago and I had never received it until now.

Of course I knew she must have put that in there that day, since I had just been in the purse to hide her stolen property. I played along with her though so I would not have to confess. I don't really remember what happened next. I may have told her what I did or more likely, just snuck the marbles back in her bag. Either way, I knew I couldn't keep them. My sister taught me a lesson with her note without even meaning to.