ut not many young "niggers"
could get around as lively as she, and no one, who had ever dined in
that household, could doubt her ability to cook the best meal ever
brought to a table.

"Nevah you min', honey--Aunt Bettie'll have somethin' fur de
occasion--it's a shame dat doctah won't let Captain Gordon hab no pie
nor nuthin', but makes him eat jest dem beat biscuits, when he likes de
soft ones so much de best. I'll be ready, chile, on de day 'fore
Christmas, so don' you worry yourse'f 'bout me."

"But you mus'n't make him anything that is bad for him, Aunt Bettie. He
can't eat the plum pudding, and other rich goodies like the rest of us,
you know, because he is too ill and the doctor won't allow it," answered
Alsie anxiously.

"I'll 'member _all_ dat," laughed Aunt Bettie reassuringly, as the child
departed from the kitchen, but a feeling of sadness came to the faithful
old soul as she recalled the festivities of the year before, when
Christmas dinner had been prepared for the whole family of children and
grandchildren, and the thought of how the dear head of the family had
enjoyed that occasion brought tears to her eyes.

* * * * *

Such conversations were being held every day, and the days were passing,
too, with astonishing rapidity, just as they always do when one is
deeply interested in some absorbing project.

Aunt Alice had been receiving, daily, numerous letters--several
containing checks--and little Alsie's correspondence had suddenly grown
to enormous proportions.

Uncle Dick came in one evening, and slipping a gold piece into his
sister's hand remarked, "_I_ can't think of a thing for that pie, Alice.
I'm sorry to be so stupid, but I'll have to ask you to take this and see
what your clever brain can do with it."

"O, Dick, it will make a grand 'plum' for the pie. I'll put it in, just
in this form, for I want all the money entrusted to me, as agent, to go
toward providing for father, comforts and luxuries, such as we might not
be able to afford under ordinary circumstances. And yet, it's almost
impossible to know exactly how to spend it just now," replied Alice.
After a little pause she added, "I believe I'll just put the gold pieces
and checks into a little box and label it, 'Fruit for the Pie.' My
biggest check may truly be termed a _peach_, and I can convert one or
two others into plums and raisins."

"I think I know of several plums that will be forthcoming if tha