"I wish I had told him not to mind my seeding
him. I will, the next time; see if I don't."

Peleg Wherren's fish-house was a neighbor of the lane, and from the boat
the party passed to Aunt Stanshy's. As Charlie went along, he noticed a
woman in the lane.

She wore a rusty black hood, a faded red shawl, and an old calico dress.
Her general look was that of poverty. She turned as she heard the sound of
steps, and, turning, chanced to face Aunt Stanshy. Thereupon the two women
both swung round and looked away, like neighboring vanes struck by
opposite currents of wind. Aunt Stanshy started and went ahead rapidly. In
a moment Charlie heard some one crying. Looking back he saw it was Pip,
who had fallen and hurt himself. The woman in faded clothes was quite
nigh, and immediately running to Pip, helped him up, saying, in a pitying,
motherly way, "You poor little fellow!"

"She has a pleasant face," thought Charlie. "Who is it?"

He asked Simes Badger, who came down the lane.

"That? that is Jane."

"Who is Jane?"

"Tim Tyler's sister."

"Old Tim's?"

"Yes, and young Tim's mother."

"Where does she live?"

"O the Tylers all live in the same nest."

"Jane and Aunt Stanshy, then, do not speak to one another," reflected
Charlie.

CHAPTER XI.

THE CLUB IN SPLINTERS.

There is such a thing as a club breaking, going to splinters even. This
sad end of a club was experienced by the Up-the-Ladder Club. It was not a
strange thing, as all human organizations have their ups and downs, and
many have their downs especially.

It happened in this way.

"Boys," said the president one day, "let's play school. I'll be teacher.
No; let's have a public declamation--pieces, you know, and so on. Then we
can charge something and perhaps get a little money--nails, I mean."

The real cash was scarce, and nails became a necessity.

"And not play school?" asked the literary governor. "A school is real
interestin', you know."

"Yes, we might play that afterward as a sort of rest."

"Agreed," was the general sentiment. The old sheet that had done service
so many times was once more brought out and strung across one corner of
the barn chamber. An audience of three was secured, the governor's
youngest brother, Pip's little sister, and Sid Waters's young cousin from
the country. The members of the club gathered behind the sheet for action,
but the auditors, all of them plump children, were ranged in a row upon a
window-b