iled pigeon, if I broil it myself?"

"I can eat a piece of one, if you'll take the rest, mother," she said
with a smile at her. "I eat a whole banana just before I went to sleep."

"Well this ain't the doctor's pigeon, so I guess it will be good," said
Mrs. Derrick. "Sam Stoutenburgh brought it.--And I'm going to cook it
here, pretty child, because I want to be here myself. I suppose the
smoke won't trouble you if it goes up chimney?"

"I'd like it, smoke and all, mother," said Faith, changing the
resting-place for her head. "But you needn't slight the doctor's
birds--they were as fine birds as could be--when I could eat them."

"'Birds of a feather'"--said Mrs. Derrick laconically. And she drew out
some of the glowing and winking embers, and set thereon the tiny
gridiron with its purplish plump pigeon. "Sam's home now, Faith, and
you'd think he'd been through every degree of everything. But the first
thing he did was to go off and shoot pigeons for you."

Faith was inclined to think he had not got above one degree. She sat in
her easy-chair and watched the play cookery with amused pleased eyes.

"I should like to be in the kitchen again, mother--doing something for
you."

"You shall do something for me presently," said her mother, as the
pigeon began to send out little puffs of steam and jets of juice, which
the coals resented. "_This_ one's fat, anyway--and there's a half dozen
more. The fun of it is, child, that Sam was afraid there weren't
enough!--he wanted to know if I was _sure_ they'd last till
to-morrow!--so I guess _he's_ not in a fainting away state. I told him
we'd roast beef in the house, for you to fall back upon, child," she
added with a little laugh, as she turned the pigeon. But her face was
very grave the next moment, with the sorrowful reality. "Pretty child,"
she said tenderly, "do you feel as if you could eat a muffin or a
biscuit best?"

"Mother, that pigeon is making me hungry, it smells so nice. I am sure
I can eat anything."

"Well I _made_ muffins," said Mrs. Derrick, bustling softly about with
the little table and the tea-things. "Faith, I'm afraid to have Mr.
Linden come home and find your cheeks so thin."

"I'm not," said Faith quietly.

"My!" said her mother, "you never were afraid of anything he'd a mind
to do, child. But for all _I_ know, he may carry you off to Europe in
the next steamer. He's up to 'most anything," said Mrs. Derrick
stooping down by the pigeon, and giving i