ing back. "Sam, take the horses round to
the barn; and bring the baskets out of the chaise-box and wait at this
gate for us."

"Why is he to wait? where are we going?"

"Going in to get some breakfast."

"_Here_, Preston?--O I can't."

"What's the matter?"

"I can't eat anything in there. I can wait."

"Why it looks clean," said Preston; "room and table and woman and
all."--But Daisy still shook her head and was not to be persuaded; and
Preston laughing went back to the house. But presently he came out again
bearing a tray in his hand, and brought it to Daisy. On the tray was
very nice looking brown and white bread, and milk and cheese and a
platter of strawberries. Preston got into the chaise and set the tray on
his knees. After him had come from the house a woman in a fly-away cap
and short-gown. She stood just inside the gate leaning her arms on it.
If she had not been there, perhaps Daisy would still have refused to
touch the food; but she was afraid of offending or hurting the woman's
feelings; so first she tried a strawberry, and found it of rare flavour;
for it was a wild one; then she broke a morsel of bread, and that was
excellent. Daisy discovered that breakfast in a pony chaise, out in the
air, was a very fine thing. So did Preston.

"So you're agoin' afishin'?" said the woman at the gate.

"Yes, ma'am," Preston said.

"And that little one too?"

"Certainly."

"I declare! I never see nobody so little and gauzy as was willin' to do
such indelicate work! But I shouldn't wonder, now, if she was to catch
some. Fishes--and all things--is curious creeturs, and goes by
contrairies."

"Hope they won't to-day!" said Preston, who was eating strawberries and
bread and milk at a great rate.

"Where's the rest of your party?" the woman went on.

"We're all here, ma'am," said Preston.

"Well, I see a horse there that haint nobody on top of him?"

"I was on top of him a little while ago," said Preston.

"Well, I expect that little creetur haint druv herself?"

"Drove the pony, anyhow," said Preston. "Now, ma'am, what do we owe you,
besides thanks, for your excellent hospitality?"

"I reckon you don't owe me much," said the woman, as Preston got out of
the chaise. "You can set the tray in there on the table, if you're a
mind to. We always calculate to set a good meal, and we're allowed to;
but we don't never calculate to live by it and we've no dispensary.
There's only my husband and me, and there's