was, two did
crack open, but he got the other one, and that was virtually his
dinner.

A Purple Blackbird came hopping in the door now.

"Will, now, thayer's Jack. Whayer hev ye been? I thought ye wuz gone
fur good. Shure Oi saved him from a murtherin' gunner," she explained.
"(Bad scran to the baste! I belave he was an Or'ngeman.) But he's all
right now an' comes an' goes like he owned the place. Now, Jack, you
git out av that wather pail," as the beautiful bird leaped into the
half-filled drinking bucket and began to take a bath.

"Now luk at that," she shouted, "ye little rascal, come out o' that
oven," for now the Blackbird had taken advantage of the open door to
scramble into the dark warm oven.

"Thayer he goes to warrum his futs. Oh, ye little rascal! Next thing
ye know some one'll slam the dooer, not knowin' a thing, and fire up,
an' it's roastin' aloive ye'll be. Shure an' it's tempted Oi am to
wring yer purty neck to save yer loife," and she drove him out with
the harshest of words and the gentlest of hands.

Then Yan, with his arms full of labelled plants, set out for home.

"Good-boi, choild, come back agin and say me soon. Bring some more
hairbs. Good-boi, an' bless ye. Oi hope it's no sin to say so, fur Oi
know yer a Prattison an' ye are all on yez goin' to hell, but yer a
foine bhoy. Oi'm tumble sorry yer a Prattison."

When Yan got back to the Raftens' he found the dinner table set for
one, though it was now three in the afternoon.

"Come and get your dinner," said Mrs. Raften in her quiet motherly
way. "I'll put on the steak. It will be ready in five minutes."

"But I've had my dinner with Granny de Neuville."

"Yes, I know!"

"Did she stir yer tea with one front claw an' put jam on yer bread
with the other?" asked Raften, rather coarsely.

"Did she b'ile her pet Blackbird fur yer soup?" said Sam.

Yan turned very red. Evidently all had a good idea of what he had
experienced, but it jarred on him to hear their mockery of the good
old soul.

He replied warmly, "She was just as kind and nice as she could be."

"You had better have a steak now," said Mrs. Raften, in solicitous
doubt.

How tempting was the thought of that juicy brown steak! How his empty
stomach did crave it! But the continued mockery had stirred him. He
would stand up for the warm-hearted old woman who had ungrudgingly
given him the best she had--had given her all--to make a hearty
welcome for a stranger. They should n