dvice as to the best manner of dealing
with the refractory Shaver, who gave further expression to his resentment
by throwing The Hopper's watch with violence against the wall. That the
table-service of The Hopper's establishment was not to Shaver's liking was
manifested in repeated rejections of the plain white bowl in which Mary
offered the porridge. He demanded his very own porridge bowl with the
increasing vehemence of one who is willing to starve rather than accept so
palpable a substitute. He threw himself back on the table and lay there
kicking and crying. Other needs now occurred to Shaver: he wanted his
papa; he wanted his mamma; he wanted to go to his gwan'pa's. He clamored
for Santa Claus and numerous Christmas trees which, it seemed, had been
promised him at the houses of his kinsfolk. It was amazing and bewildering
that the heart of one so young could desire so many things that were not
immediately attainable. He had begun to suspect that he was among
strangers who were not of his way of life, and this was fraught with the
gravest danger.

"They'll hear 'im hollerin' in China," wailed the pessimistic Humpy,
running about the room and examining the fastenings of doors and windows.
"Folks goin' along the road'll hear 'im, an' it's terms fer the whole
bunch!"

The Hopper began pacing the floor with Shaver, while Humpy and Mary
denounced the child for unreasonableness and lack of discipline, not
overlooking the stupidity and criminal carelessness of The Hopper in
projecting so lawless a youngster into their domestic circle.

"Twenty years, that's wot ut is!" mourned Humpy.

"Ye kin get the chair fer kidnapin'," Mary added dolefully. "Ye gotta get
'im out o' here, Bill."

Pleasant predictions of a long prison term with capital punishment as the
happy alternative failed to disturb The Hopper. To their surprise and
somewhat to their shame he won the Shaver to a tractable humor. There was
nothing in The Hopper's known past to justify any expectation that he
could quiet a crying baby, and yet Shaver with a child's unerring instinct
realized that The Hopper meant to be kind. He patted The Hopper's face
with one fat little paw, chokingly declaring that he was hungry.

'"Course Shaver's hungry; an' Shaver's goin' to eat nice porridge Aunt
Mary made fer 'im. Shaver's goin' to have 'is own porridge bowl
to-morry--yes, sir-ee, oo is, little Shaver!"

Restored to the table, Shaver opened his mouth in obedience to The