"Seems as if you didn't love your little brother, Mandy--such work as you make of tendin' him! Just look how glad he is to see you," as baby leaned forward and began pulling at the pink bonnet. "He's just had his bread and milk, and if you set right there in the door, where he can watch the chickens, I shouldn't wonder if he'd be real good for ever so long. Father and Jeff wont be home to dinner, but there's plenty of bread and butter and cold beans in the closet for you and Bub. You can set the beans in the oven to warm, if you like--only be sure you put 'em on an old plate; and you can divide what's left of the ginger-bread between you." "Oh, mother! can't we eat it now?" said Bub, who had watched his father and Jeff off in the boat, and, now returning to the house, didn't quite know what to do next. "Why, it aint an hour sence breakfast! But you can do as you like; only, if Mandy eats hers, baby'll want it, sure. Better wait till he's asleep." "All right; Mandy can wait," said Bub, cheerfully, as his mother set the plate of cake on the table before leaving the house. "Oh, Bub, I'm awful hungry, too!" said Mandy. "You cut the cake in halves,--mind you cut fair,--and hold my piece for me where baby can't see it. Sit right here behind me." So Mandy on the door-step, and Bub on the floor, with his back against the door, which he gently tilted as he munched his cake, were very silent and comfortable for a minute or two. The hens crawed and cackled, with cozy, gossipy noises, in the sun before the door; the baby blinked and cooed contentedly. "Ready for another bite?" said Bub, holding out Mandy's cake close to her left ear. "In a min-ute," said Mandy, with her mouth full. "Bub Lewis, aint you ashamed of yourself? You've been eatin' off my piece! I saw you just now!" "Aint, either! You can see great things with the back of your head! Here's your piece 'n' here's mine. Yours is ever so much bigger!" "Well, you've been gobbling yours's fast's you could, and I only had two little bites off mine." "_Little_ bites! I sh'd think so! Don't know what you call big ones, then! So chuck full you couldn't speak half a minute ago. Here, hold your own cake, and let baby grab it!" "Well, I'd rather give it _all_ to him, than have you eat it up on the sly!" Bub walked down toward the water without deigning a reply, but thought of several things on his way which would have been more withering than silence.