the little dish-washer, cheerily. "I'll bring
you some water as soon as I have done these dishes." And, holding her
wet hands behind her, she ran to give the young invalid a kiss in the
mean while.

Cecie returned a warm smile of love and thanks, and said she was in no
hurry. Then the child, stopping only to give a bright look and a
pleasant word to the baby, ran back to her dishes.

"I should think you would be ashamed, you two great boys!" said the
woman, "to sit round the house and let that child Lilian wait upon you,
get your suppers, wash your dishes, and then go to the spring for water
for your poor suffering sister!"

"I'm going to petition the Legislature," said Wad, "to have that spring
moved up into our back yard; it's too far to go for water. There come
the cattle, Rufe."

"Tell Chokie to go and head 'em into the barnyard," yawned Rufe, from
his chair. "I wonder nobody ever invented a milking-machine. Wish I had
one. Just turn a crank, you know."

"You'll be wanting a machine to breathe with, next," said the little
dish-washer.

"Y-a-as," drawled Rufe. "I think a breathing machine would be popular in
this family. Children cry for it. Get me the milk-pail, Lill; that's a
nice girl!"

"Do get it yourself, Rufus," said the mother. "You'll want your little
sister to milk for you, soon."

"I think it belongs to girls to milk," said Rufe. "There's Sal
Wiggett,--ain't she smart at it, though? She can milk your head off! Is
that a wagon coming, Wad?"

"Yes!" cried Wad, jumping to his feet with unusual alacrity. "A wagon
without a horse, a fellow pulling in the shafts, and Link pushing
behind; coming right into the front yard!"

Rufe also started up at this announcement, and went to the door.

"Hallo!" he said, "had a break-down? What's that in the hind part of
your wagon? Deer! a deer and a fawn! Where did you shoot 'em? Where's
your horse?"

"Look out, Rufe!" screamed the small boy from behind, rushing forward.
"Touch one of these deer, and the dog'll have ye! We've got two deer,
but we've lost our horse,--scamp rode him away,--and we want--"

"We do, do we?" interrupted Wad, mockingly. "How many deer did _you_
shoot, Link?"

"Well, I helped get the buggy over, anyway! And that's the savagest dog
ever was! And--say! will mother let us take the old mare to drive over
to North Mills this evening?"

CHAPTER VII.

JACK AT THE "CASTLE."

For an answer to this question, the person most int