?" She beat the
eggs for her batter as if she had Daisy's head under the whip. "He fit
and fought fo' Uncle Sam," she repeated, "and now he comes home and
camps hisse'f on Daisy's do'-step."

Against the breeze of such high indignation, any argument would be blown
away. Becky changed the subject hastily. "Mandy," she asked, "are you
making corn fritters?"

"I is----"

"What else for lunch?"

"An omlec----"

"Mandy, I'm so hungry I could eat a house----"

"You look it," Mandy told her; "effen I was you, I'd eat and git fat."

"It isn't fashionable to be fat, Mandy."

"Skeletums may be in style," said Mandy, breaking eggs for the omelette,
"but I ain' ever found good looks in bones."

"Don't you like _my_ bones, Mandy?"

"You ain't got none, honey."

"You called me a skeleton."

The kettle boiled. "Effen I called you a skeletum," Mandy said as she
placed a cup and saucer on a small napkined tray, "my min' was on dat-ar
Daisy. You ain' got no bones, Miss Becky. But Daisy, she's got a neck
like a picked tukkey, and her shoulder-blades stan' out like wings."

III

Becky went to the train with her aunt. George Dalton drove Madge down
and passed the old surrey on the way.

Later Madge met Mrs. Beaufort and Becky on the station platform, and it
was when Dalton settled her in her chair in the train that she said,
"She's a darling. Keep her on a pedestal, Georgie----"

"You're a good sport," he told her; "you know you'd hate it if I did."

"I shouldn't. I'd like to think of you on your knees----"

It was time for him to leave her. She gave him her hand. "Until we meet
again, Georgie."

Her eyes were cool and smiling. Yet later as she looked out on the
flying hills, there was trouble in them. There had been a time when
Dalton had seemed to square with her girlish dreams.

And now, there was no one to warn this other girl with dreams in her
eyes. George was not a vulture, he was simply a marauding bee----!

Becky was already in the surrey when George came back, and Calvin was
gathering up his reins.

"Oh, look here, I wish you'd let me drive you up, Miss Bannister,"
George said, sparkling; "there's no reason, is there, why you must ride
alone?"

"Oh, no."

"Then you will?"

Her hesitation was slight. "I should like it."

"And can't we drive about a bit? You'll show me the old places? It is
such a perfect day. I hope you haven't anything else to do."

She had not. "I'll go with Mr. Dalton, Calv