a smile. "Clementina
gave a glance into Smithley's window.

"'Say, Edna, would you care if--'

"'Oh, Clem, I'd be so glad!' said I."

"And so it ended happily after all!" cried Ivy.

"Yes; and Cousin Clem has them to this day--put away in a cedar box
that belonged to her mother!"

Laura smiled rather doubtfully.

"And of course there's a moral, Mother Lee, but this is different!"

Going home, Ivy talked the matter over with her mother.

"I'm inclined to take Mrs. Lee's view. The poem says 'Give to the
hungry potatoes,' but I guess it doesn't mean to give potatoes only!"
said that lady.

CHAPTER XX

MRS. KUMP'S BIRTHDAY

Mrs. Kump's home, a one-storied frame building, stood on the west bank
of a run that trickled down from the hills to the river; a small window
faced the main road, while two others with the 'front' door between,
opened upon a porch thickly trellised with grape vines; a couple of
steps at one end of the porch led to a wooden platform which bridged
the stream.

At six o'clock that morning the dew lay heavy upon the matted grape
leaves, and over the little vegetable garden behind the house, with its
outlying poles of hop-vines and sweet-peas.

The scent of pennyroyal came from the banks of the stream; the birds
twittered round the little gray house and the sun shone upon it feebly,
through a thick wall of fog.

Stepping softly across the bridge and through the green opening of the
porch went Hugh and Mat, those worthy aids of the Happy-Go-Luckys; in
front of the door they placed the birthday offerings, and then, giving
a resounding knock on the panel, they ran and hid in the bushes across
the road.

Presently the door opened and a gray head peered forth, then out
stepped a thin figure in a blue calico wrapper. With hands upraised
she advanced to the porch steps.

"The grocer's man made a mistake," the boys heard her say. She gazed
along the road but no one was in view. Retracing her steps she bent
over the baskets.

"There's a card on 'em. The owner's name, I reckon. I'll get my specs
and see!"

"Now's our chance to light out!" whispered Mat, and away they flew.

Mrs. Lee crossed the bridge that same evening, followed by Nettie in
starched white frock and golden curls.

A clump of hollyhocks made a gorgeous splash of color against the wall
of the house beneath the end window. Four-o'clocks, ragged-robins and
blue lark-spur struggled up through the cabbages and long