"Blessin's on ye, Miss," said the tramp, as Mary Frances carried the smoking dish out on the porch to him with a slice of bread and butter. "You've got a kind heart, you 'ave, to be shure. Ain't that--whatever it is--a beauty!" "It is real pretty," said Mary Frances, feeling quite proud. "I just made it for you. I'm learning to cook. My mother's away--and I'm here all alone just now except for Jubey and the Kitchen F---- (she caught herself just in time). Jubey is the kitten, you know. My lessons just came to Omelet, and--why, what's the matter with it?" she cried, dismayed. "It's all fallen flat! I wonder if I got it done. It gets flatter and flatter." The tears sprang to her eyes. "I'm so sorry," she said. [Illustration: "Why, what's the matter with it?"] "Oh, never mind, Miss," said the tramp; "I ain't been chooser for mony a day--and this 'ere homelet, or whatever it is, will be all right, all right,"--and he hungrily began to eat. "It seems to be made out o' nothin'--and yet it is powerful good," said he between bites, as it fast disappeared, much to Mary Frances' delight. [Illustration: "Oh, never mind, Miss."] "It's made out of beaten eggs," said she. "First, you take the eggs and break the shells, and put the yolks in one bowl and the----" "Why, Miss, I know what made it flounder." "Flounder? Flounder? 'Flat as a flounder,'" thought Mary Frances--"he means flatten." "What?" she asked eagerly. "Why, the breeze! The cool air plays the----" "Mary Frances!" "Mary Frances!" "Mary Frances!" [Illustration: "Be gone!"] Her father came into the kitchen. "Who's there? Why, my dear little girl, what are you doing?" "I'm--I've got company," Mary Frances stammered, not liking to say tramp. "That is--I--oh, Father, this gentleman was so hungry--and I----" "Go into the house--and I shall see you." "Be gone!" thundered her father to the tramp, pointing to the gate. "Begging pardon, sir," said the tramp, touching his cap, "but may I say one word?" "Make it short." [Illustration: "May I say one word?"] "I'd do anything for the young lady--not let a 'air o' 'er 'ead be 'urt. Please don't be too 'ard on 'er." "You may go," said Mary Frances' father. "Are you hungry yet?" "Oh, no, sir,--thank you, sir," said the tramp. "Thanks to 'er." "Bless 'er little 'eart," her father heard him murmuring, as he went out the gate. "Bless her dear, loving little heart!" echoed her father. "The poor dear 'lamb' should not have been left alone! I thought Billy was here. But she must have her lesson!" Going into the kitchen, he took Mary Frances on his knee. "Dear," he began gravely, "suppose the old tramp had not had kind thoughts. Suppose, when my little girl opened the door, he had hurt her, and had taken mother's nice things, or had stolen our dear little daughter----" [Illustration: "Are you hungry yet?"] [Illustration: "Dear," he began gravely.]