dining-room trying to make as little noise and to attract as little
attention from his aunt as possible; but she fastened her eyes at once
upon his feet.

"What are you doing with your shoes on, William?" she asked.

Billy glanced nonchalantly at her.

"Don't you think, Aunt Minerva," he made answer, "I's gittin' too big
to go 'thout any shoes? I's mos' ready to put on long pants, an' how'd
I look, I'd jest like to know, goin' roun' barefooted an' got on long
breeches. I don' believe I'll go barefooted no mo'--I'll jest wear my
shoes ev'y day."

"I just believe you won't. Go take them off at once and hurry back to
your dinner."

"Lemme jest wait tell I eats," he begged, hoping to postpone the evil
hour of exposure.

"No, go at once, and be sure and wash your hands."

Miss Minerva spied the paint the instant he made his second entrance and
immediately inquired, "How did you get that paint on your feet?"

The little boy took his seat at the table and looked up at her with his
sweet, attractive, winning smile.

"Paint pertec's little boys' feets," he said, "an' keeps 'em f'om
gittin' hurted, Aunt Minerva, don't it?"

Miss Minerva laid down her fork and gave her nephew her undivided
attention.

"You have been getting into mischief again, I see, William; now tell me
all about it. Are you afraid of me?"

"Yas 'm," was his prompt response, "an' I don't want to be put to bed
neither. The Major he wouldn't put little boys to bed day times."

She blushed and eyed him thoughtfully. She was making slow progress with
the child, she knew, yet she still felt it her stern duty to be very
strict with him and, having laid down certain rules to rear him by, she
wished to adhere to them.

"William," she said after he had made a full confession, "I won't punish
you this time for I know that Jimmy led you into it but--"

"Naw'm, Jimmy didn't. Me an' him an' Frances an' Lina's all 'sponsible,
but I promise you, Aunt Minerva, not to clam' no mo' ladders."

CHAPTER XXI

PRETENDING REALITY

The chain-gang had been working in the street not far from Miss
Minerva's house, and Lina, Frances, Billy and Jimmy had hung on her
front fence for an hour, watching them with eager interest. The negroes
were chained together in pairs, and guarded by two, big, burly white
men.

"Let's us play chain-gang," suggested Jimmy.

"Where we goin' to git a chain?" queried Billy; "'t won't be no fun
'thout a