esides, mother said she'd be lonesome
without me, so I'd better not stay, any way."

So Roxie, flattering herself like many an older person with the fancy
that she was giving up her selfish pleasure for that of another, while
really she was carrying out her own fancy, went singing on her way, and
reached the camp just as her father struck his ax deep into the log
where he meant to leave it for an hour, and Jake, her handsome elder
brother, took off his cap, pushed the curls back from his heated brow,
and shook out the hay and grain before old Rob, whose whinny had
already proclaimed dinner-time.

"Why, if here isn't sis with a tin kettle, and I'll be bound some of
ma'am's nut-cakes in it!" exclaimed Jake, who had rather mourned at the
said cakes not being ready before he left home, and then he caught the
little girl up in his arms, kissed her heartily, and put her on Rob's
back, whence she slid down, saying gravely:

"Jake, Ma says I'm getting too old for rough play. I'll be twelve years
old next June."

"All right, old lady; I'll get you a pair of specs and a new cap or two
for a birthday present," laughed Jake, uncovering the tin kettle, while
his father said:

"We wont have you an old woman before you're a young one, will we, Tib?
Come, sit down by me and have some dinner. You're good to bring us the
nut-cakes and get here in such good season."

The three were very happy and merry over their dinner, although Roxie
declined to eat anything except out of her own pocket, and the time
passed swiftly until Mr. Beamish glanced up at the sun, rose, took his
ax out of the cleft in the log, and, swinging it over his head, said:

"Come, Jake, nooning is over. Get to work."

"All right, sir. You can sit still as long as you like, sis, and by and
by I'll take you home on Rob."

"I'm going now, Jake," said Roxie, hesitating a little, and finally
concluding not to mention the checkerberries, lest her father or
brother should object to her going alone into the wilder part of the
forest. "Ma said she'd be lonesome," added she hurriedly, and then her
cheeks began to burn as if she had really told a lie instead of
suggesting one.

"Well, you're a right down good girl to come so far and then to think
of Ma instead of yourself, and next day we're working about home I'll
give you a good ride to pay for it."

And Jake kissed his little sister tenderly, her father nodded good-bye
with some pleasant word of thanks, and Roxie w