"Wait for me, Marty!" she cried, as her cousin was sliding out of the door in his usual attempt to get away unobserved, and so not be called back for any unexpected chores. "Aw, come on! A gal's always behind--like a cow's tail!" growled the chivalrous Marty. "What you want?" Janice gave him a quarter of a dollar secretly. "Now, you get that pump leather and you bring it home this noon. Just put it on the table by your father's plate," she commanded. "You going to do it for me?" "Sure," grinned Marty. "And I'll see that he don't lose it, nuther. I know Dad. He'll need more than _that_ suggestion to git him started on that old pump." "We'll try," sighed Janice; and then Marty ran on ahead of her to overtake one of his boy friends. He would have been ashamed to be caught walking with his girl cousin by daylight, and on the public streets of Poketown! After school that day, when Janice arrived again at the old Day house, the first thing she heard was her aunt's complaining voice begging Marty to go down to Dickerson's for a bucket of water. "What's the matter with Dad?" demanded the boy. "Didn't I bring him that pump leather? Huh!" "Mebbe your father will git around to fixin' the pump staff, and he kin make that in ten minutes. I believe he's got a stick for't out in the workshop now, he won't be driv'." "Janice wasted her good money, then," said Marty, with fine disgust. "All else it needs is a pump staff, and he kin make that in ten minutes. I believe he's got a stick for't out in the workshop--had it there for months." "Now, you git erlong with that pail, Marty," commanded his mother, "and don't stand there a-criticisin' of your elders." Janice hid behind the great lilac bush until Marty had gone grumblingly down the hill. Then she heard some loud language from the barnyard and knew that her uncle had come in from the fields. After a little hesitation she made straight for the barn. "Uncle Jason! won't you please mend the pump? Mr. Pringle has cut you a good-pump leather." "Goodness me, Janice! I'm druv to death. All this young corn to cultivate, an' not a soul to help me. Other boys like Marty air some good; but I can't trust him in the field with a hoss." "But you don't work in the field all day long, Uncle," pleaded Janice. "Seems to me I don't have a minute to call my own," declared the farmer. To hear him talk one would think he was the busiest man in Poketown! "I expect you are pretty busy," agreed the girl, nodding; "but I can tell you how to find time to mend that pump." "How's that?" he asked, curiously. "Get up when I do. We can mend it before the others come down. Will you do it to-morrow morning, Uncle?" "Wa-al! I dunno----" "Say you will, Uncle Jason!" cried Janice. "We'll surprise 'em--Aunty and Marty. They needn't never know till it's done." "I got ter find a new pump shaft----" "Marty says you've got one put away in the workshop." "Why--er--so I have, come to think on't."