thes made, I forgot all about that. Have you
noticed the crock in passing? Is there anything in it?"

"It was about half full, once when I went by," said Leon. "I haven't
seen it lately."

"Do please be a dear and look, when you go after the cows this
evening," said Shelley. "If there's anything in it, bring it up."

"Do it yourself for want of me,
The boy replied quite manfully,"

quoted Leon from "The Little Lord and the Farmer." He was always
teasing.

"I think you're mean as dirt if you don t bring it," said Shelley.

Leon grinned and you should have heard the nasty, teasing way he said
more of that same piece:

"Anger and pride are both unwise,
Vinegar never catches flies----"

I wondered she didn't slap him. You could see she wanted to. "I can
get it myself," she said angrily.

"What will you give me to bring it?" asked Leon, who never missed a
chance to make a bargain.

"My grateful thanks. Are they not a proper reward?" asked Shelley.

"Thanks your foot!" said Leon. "Will you bring something pretty from
Chicago for Susie Fall's Christmas present?"

Every one laughed, but Leon never cared. He liked Susie best of any of
the girls, and he wanted every one to know it. He went straight to her
whenever he had a chance, and he'd already told her mother to keep all
the other boys away, because he meant to marry her when he grew up, and
Widow Fall said that was fair enough, and she'd save her for him. So
Shelley said she would get him something for Susie, and Leon brought
the crock. Shelley looked at it sort of dubious-like, tipped it, and
stared at the dirt settled in the bottom, and then stuck in her finger
and tasted it. She looked at Leon with a queer grin and said: "Smarty,
smarty, think you're smart!" She threw the creek water into the swill
bucket. No one said a word, but Leon looked much sillier than she did.
After he was gone I asked her if she would bring him a Christmas
present for Susie NOW, and she said she ought to bring him a pretty
glass bottle labelled perfume, with hartshorn in it, and she would, if
she thought he'd smell it first.

Shelley felt badly about leaving mother when she wasn't very well; but
mother said it was all right, she had Candace to keep house and May and
me, and father, and all of us to take care of her, and it would be best
for Shelley to go now and work hard as she could, while she had the
chance. So one afternoon father took her trunk