"Stuff!" said Phoebe, bravely, but her gaze was fixed anxiously on the indicator, now fast approaching the 2d of April. "Oh, dear! 'F I could only see ye, Phoebe!" cried Rebecca. "I know he's a mis'able deceivin' man, but if--if--oh, Phoebe, can't ye holler!" "It's April 8th--good-bye!" Phoebe said, faintly. "Phoebe--Phoebe!" "Hurray--hurray! It's March 31st, and here I am!" Phoebe tried to clap her hands, but the effort was in vain. "I allus said it was folderol," said Rebecca, sternly. "Oh, but I'd like to throw somethin' at that Copernicus Droop!" "Come to think of it," said Droop, "that future man must hev come back long, long before his birthday." "Why didn't ye say that sooner?" cried Rebecca. There was no further conversation until long afterward, when Rebecca suddenly remarked: "Aren't ye hungry, Phoebe?" "Why, it's gettin' along to dinner-time, ain't it?" she replied. "I don't see, though, how I'm to get any victuals, do you?" "Why, the's bread an' other scraps slammed up against the wall here all round me," said Rebecca. "Couldn't we fix some way to get some of 'em to ye?" Phoebe looked anxiously about and finally caught sight of her sister's knitting work near at hand. It proved to be just within reach, and by slow degrees and much effort she brought it into her lap within easy reach of both her heavy hands. "Oh, dear!" she said, "I feel's if both my arms had turned to lead. Here, Rebecca, I'm goin' to see if I can roll your ball o' yarn along the floor through the kitchen door. The centrifugal force will bring it to you. Then you can cut the yarn an' tie somethin' on the end for me to eat an' I'll haul it back through the door." "That's jest the thing, Phoebe. Go on--I'm ready." The theory seemed excellent, as Rebecca had fortunately been working with a very tough flaxen yarn; but so great was the apparent weight of Phoebe's arms that it was only after a long series of trials ending in failures that she finally succeeded. "I've got it!" cried Rebecca, triumphantly. "Now, then, I've got a slice of ham and two slices of bread----" "Don't send ham," said Phoebe. "I'd be sure to eat it if I had it, an' 'twould make me fearful dry. I'm sure I don't see how I'm to get any water in here." "Thet's so," said Rebecca. "Well, here's an apple and two slices of bread." "Are you keepin' enough for yourself, Rebecca?" "Enough an' to spare," she replied. "Now, then--all ready! Pull 'em along!" Phoebe obeyed and soon had secured possession of the frugal meal which Rebecca had been able to convey to her. She offered a portion of her ration to Droop, but he declined it, saying he had no appetite. He had lapsed into a kind of waking reverie and scarce knew what was going on about him. The two women also were somewhat stupefied by the continual rotation and their enforced immobility. They spoke but seldom and must have dozed frequently, for Phoebe was much surprised to find, on looking at the clock, that it was half-past five.