ben so busy these last few days I couldn't find rest for the
sole o' my foot skersely. I've sewed in seven dif'rent houses sence I
was here last, and I've made it my biz'ness to try 'n' stop the gossip
'bout them children 'n' give folks the rights o' the matter, 'n' git 'em
interested to do somethin' for 'em. Now there ain't a livin' soul that
wants the boy, but"--

"Timothy," said Miss Vilda hurriedly, "run and fetch me a passle of
chips, that's a good boy. Land sakes! Aunt Hitty, you needn't tell him
to his face that nobody wants him. He's got feelin's like any other
child."

"He set there so quiet with a book in front of him I clean forgot he was
in the room," said Aunt Hitty apologetically. "Land! I'm so
tender-hearted I can't set my foot on a June bug 'n' 't aint' likely I'd
hurt anybody's feelin's, but as I was sayin' I can't find nobody that
wants the boy, but the Doctor's wife thinks p'raps she'll be willin' to
take the baby 'n' board her for nothing if somebody else 'll pay for her
clothes. At least she'll try her a spell 'n' see how she behaves, 'n'
whether she's good comp'ny for her own little girl that's a reg'lar limb
o' Satan anyway, 'n' consid'able worse sence she's had the scarlit
fever, 'n' deef as a post too, tho' they're blisterin' her, 'n' she may
git over it. I told her I'd bring Gay over to-night as I was comin' by,
bein' as how she was worn out with sickness 'n' house-cleanin' 'n' one
thing 'n' nother, 'n' couldn't come to git her very well herself. I
thought mebbe you'd be willin' to pay for her clothes ruther 'n hev so
much talk 'bout it, tho' I've told everybody that they walked right in
to the front gate, 'n' you 'n' Samanthy never set eyes on 'em before,
'n' didn't know where they come from."

Samantha wiped her eyes surreptitiously with the dishcloth and turned a
scarlet face away from the window. Timothy was getting his "passle o'
chips." Gay had spied him, and toddling over to his side, holding her
dress above the prettiest little pair of feet that ever trod clover, had
sat down on him (a favorite pastime of hers), and after jolting her fat
little person up and down on his patient head, rolled herself over and
gave him a series of bear-hugs. Timothy looked pale and languid,
Samantha thought, and though Gay waited for a frolic with her most
adorable smile, he only lifted her coral necklace to kiss the place
where it hung, and tied on her sun-bonnet soberly. Samantha wished that
Vilda ha