“Zalie,” he said sternly, “Don’t I tell you everything? Besides, you don’t know where their place is, and I ain’t going to tell, partly because I don’t want to, and partly because I don’t know. I don’t see how I ever found the way here at all, I was so mixed up. And what’s more, I don’t attach no importance to a promise that’s wrung out of a fellow like that. Of course I promised! I had to. But that’s a very different thing from a promise you give on your honor. I don’t want you to think I’d break a promise, Zalie—not a fair and square promise.” “Oh, Hi! don’t I know you wouldn’t? I’m only teasing. I won’t say a word about it to anyone; but it shows ma was right. She said I must keep to the road and not go prowling off by myself. How are you getting on, Hi?” “Oh, first-rate. I don’t like being shut up in the mill all day any too well, of course. You see, it comes hard on a fellow who’s been used to being out of doors early and late. But there’s little children there, Zalie—little, little children. It makes me feel dreadful to see them. I tell you, I’m not meaning to stay there long. I’m looking about all the time for some kind of an outdoor job. Mr. Carson, he’s got me to pulling weeds out of his brick walk. I have about half an hour after work and before it gets dark and that lets me do quite a lot at the Carsons; and then they give me my supper there.” “But that makes such long hours, Hi,” Azalea protested. “You’ll wear yourself out.” “No I won’t, Zalie. I’m made of cast iron. And then the working out of doors sort of rests me. It gives me an appetite too. And I tell you what, I want to please Mr. Carson. He’s a fine man to work for. He seems to kind of notice me, and I think maybe I can get took on there at his place.” “The Carsons are like that. They notice everybody. They even noticed Jim and me.” “Why, you goose, anybody would notice you!” cried Hi. “Don’t you know that yet? Jim’s a mighty pleasant-looking boy too. Looks as if he knew which end he was standing on, all right.” But at that moment Ma McBirney’s voice, with a tone of impatience in it, came out to them. “Azalea, child, where in the name of goodness have you gone? Don’t you know we’re waiting breakfast? Hurry up, child, do. Pa has just made up his mind to take us all to the Singing.” “The Singing? What’s the Singing?” asked Azalea, as she and Hi ran toward the house with the butter and the milk in their hands. “Don’t tell me you don’t know what a singing is,” said pa. Hi and Azalea shook their heads. “Well, then,” said pa, “nobody is to tell you, and before long you’ll see for yourselves. Hustle now, we ought to have been on the road by this time. It slipped my mind this was the date, till the Groggings went by and reminded me.” “My goodness,” sighed ma, “I’m glad our best dresses are fresh ironed, Azalea. Here, everybody pay strict attention to eating! We’ve got to get off if we’re to take any part in the doings!”