y's head was swathed in a huge, white cloth; his usually lean little
cheeks were puffed out till he resembled a young hippopotamus, and his
pretty grey eyes were almost invisible.

"You better git 'way f'om me an' don't tech 'em, like I tells you," he
reiterated. "Aunt Minerva say you ain't never had 'em an' she say fer me
to make you keep 'way f'om me 'cause you ain't a ol' chile like what I
is."

"You ain't but six," retorted angry Jimmy, "and I'll be six next month;
you all time trying to 'suade little boys to think you're 'bout a
million years old. What's the matter with you, anyhow? You 'bout the
funniest looking kid they is."

Billy theatrically touched a distended cheek. "These here is mumps,"
he said impressively; "an' when you got 'em you can make grown folks do
perzactly what you want 'em to. Aunt Minerva's in the kitchen right now
makin' me a 'lasses custard if I'll be good an' stay right in the house
an' don't come out here in the yard an' don't give you the mumps. Course
I can't tech that custard now 'cause I done come out here an' it ain't
honer'ble; but she's makin' it jes' the same. You better git 'way f'om
me an' not tech 'em; you too little to have 'em."

"Are they easy to ketch?" asked the other little boy eagerly; "lemme
jest tech 'em one time, Billy."

"Git 'way, I tell you," warned the latter with a superior air. To
increase Jimmy's envy he continued: "Grown folks tries to see how nice
they can be to chillens what's got the mumps. Aunt Minerva ain't been
impedent to me to-day; she lemme do jest 'bout like I please; it sho'
is one time you can make grown folks step lively." He looked at Jimmy
meditatively, "It sho' is a plumb pity you ain't a ol' chile like what I
is an' can't have the mumps. Yo' ma 'd be skeered to spank you, skeered
she 'd injuh yo' mumps. Don't you come any closter to me," he again
warned, "you too little to have 'em."

"I'll give you five peewees if you'll lemme tech 'em so 's I can get
'em," pleaded the younger boy.

Billy hesitated. "You mighty little--" he began.

"And my stoney," said the other child eagerly.

"If you was a ol' little boy," said Billy, "it wouldn't make no
diffunce; I don't want to make yo' ma mad an' Aunt Minerva say for me to
keep 'way f'om you anyhow, though I didn't make her no promises."

Jimmy grew angry.

"You're the stingiest Peter they is, William Hill," he cried; "won't let
nobody tech your old mumps. My cousin in Memphis's got the mea