e 'bout the proudest boy they is; all time
got to write his name all over everything."

"You 'member 'bout last Communion Sunday," went on the little girl,
"when they hand roun' the little envellups and telled all the folks
what was willing to give five dollars more on the pastor's sal'y just to
write his name; so Alfred he so frisky 'cause he know how to write; so
he tooken one of the little envellups and wroten 'Alfred Gage' on it; so
when his papa find out 'bout it he say that kid got to work and pay that
five dollars hi'self, 'cause he done sign his name to it."

"And if he ain't 'bout the sickest kid they is," declared Jimmy; "I'll
betcher he won't get fresh no more soon. He telled me the other day he
ain't had a drink of soda water this summer, 'cause every nickel he
gets got to go to Mr. Pastor's sal'ry; he says he plumb tired supporting
Brother Johnson and all his family; and, he say, every time he go up
town he sees Johnny Johnson a-setting on a stool in Baltzer's drug store
just a-swigging milk-shakes; he says he going to knock him off some day
'cause it's his nickels that kid's a-spending."

There was a short silence, broken by Billy, who remarked, apropos of
nothing:

"I sho' is glad I don't hafter be a 'oman when I puts on long pants,
mens is heap mo' account."

"I wouldn't be a woman for nothing at all," Jimmy fully agreed with him;
"they have the pokiest time they is."

"I'm glad I am going to be a young lady when I grow up," Lina declared,
"I wouldn't be a gentleman for anything. I'm going to wear pretty
clothes and be beautiful and be a belle like mother was, and have lots
of lovers kneel at my feet on one knee and play the guitar with the
other."

"How they goin' to play the guitar with they other knee?" asked the
practical Billy.

"And sing 'Call Me Thine Own,'" she continued, ignoring his
interruption. "Father got on his knees to mother thirty-seven-and-a-half
times before she'd say, 'I will."'

"Look like he'd 'a' wore his breeches out," said Billy.

"I don't want to be a lady," declared Frances; "they can't ever ride
straddle nor climb a tree, and they got to squinch up their waists and
toes. I wish I could kiss my elbow right now and turn to a boy."

CHAPTER XXVI

UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER

"They's going to be a big nigger 'scursion to Memphis at 'leven
o'clock," said Jimmy as he met the other little boy at the dividing
fence; "Sam Lamb's going and 'most