"My, but you are giving me a whole lot," he said, watching her approvingly and encouragingly. "I hope you ain't robbing yourself." "Oh, no; I always make plenty," she replied, dishing a smaller portion for herself. "Here's enough for our dinner and some for you to carry home to your mother." "I haven't had any since last Fourth of July," he observed in plaintive reminiscence as they went upstairs. "Why, David Dunne, how you talk! You just come over here whenever you feel like eating ice cream, and I'll make you some. It's no trouble." They sat down on the west, vine-clad porch to enjoy their feast in leisure and shade. M'ri had never lost her childish appreciation of the delicacy, and to David the partaking thereof was little short of ecstasy. He lingered longingly over the repast, and when the soup plate would admit of no more scraping he came back with a sigh to sordid cares. "Mother couldn't get the washing done no-ways to-day. She ain't feeling well, but you can have the clothes to-morrow, sure. She sent you some sorghum," pointing to the pail. M'ri took the donation into the kitchen. When she brought back the pail it was filled with eggs. Not to send something in return would have been an unpardonable breach of country etiquette. "Your mother said your hens weren't laying," she said. The boy's eyes brightened. "Thank you, Miss M'ri; these will come in good. Our hens won't lay nor set. Mother says they have formed a union. But I 'most forgot to tell you--when I came past Winterses, Ziny told me to ask you to come over as soon as you could." "I suppose Zine has got one of her low spells," said Barnabas Brumble, who had just come up from the barn. "Most likely Bill's bin gittin' tight agin. He--" "Oh, no!" interrupted his sister hastily. "Bill has quit drinking." "Bill's allers a-quittin'. Trouble with Bill is, he can't stay quit. I see him yesterday comin' down the road zig-zaggin' like a rail fence. Fust she knows, she'll hev to be takin' washin' to support him. Sometimes I think 't would be a good idee to let him git sent over the road onct. Mebby 't would learn him a lesson--" He stopped short, noticing the significant look in M'ri's eyes and the two patches of color spreading over David's thin cheeks. He recalled that four years ago the boy's father had died in state prison. "You'd better go right over to Zine's," he added abruptly. "I'll wait till after dinner. We'll have it early." "Hev it now," suggested Barnabas. "Now!" ejaculated David. "It's only half-past ten." "I could eat it now jest as well as I could at twelve," argued the philosophical Barnabas. "Jest as leaves as not." There were no iron-clad rules in this comfortable household, especially when Pennyroyal, the help, was away. "All right," assented M'ri with alacrity. "If I am going to do anything, I like to do it right off quick and get it over with. You stay, David, if you can eat dinner so early."