the milk
toast with lavish hand. Joel waved away the plate Mary brought him.

"I can't eat that truck. Truth is I haven't got a mite of appetite,
but just to keep up my strength I'll take a soft-boiled egg. I've got
to have something sustaining."

"Two eggs, Mary," said Persis to her hand-maid. "And give 'em just two
minutes and a half." The order failed to attract the attention of
Celia, absorbed at the moment in allaying the pangs of appetite. It
was not till the eggs were brought in and placed by Joel's plate that
the irrepressible infant was roused to the realization of the enormity
of the situation. She dropped her fork with a clatter.

"Oh, Aunt Persis, see what they've gone and done."

"What is it, child?"

"You said that little chickies came out of eggs." There was no further
pretense of whispering on Celia's part. Her voice rose in a tragic
wail. "And now he's going to eat up those eggs, and I wanted to save
'em to make chickies of. Oh, dear, dear!"

"'Tain't the right time of year for chickens, dearie," Persis explained
soothingly. "We'll have plenty next spring." But Joel glanced at the
objects which had called out Celia's protest with an air of extreme
distaste.

"It's enough to take away a hearty man's appetite," he complained. "I
guess if my victuals are going to be grudged me, I'd better eat
up-stairs."

"Don't gobble, Malcolm," said Persis, ignoring her brother's burst of
ill temper and addressing the little lad on her right. "And tuck your
napkin under your chin so you won't get anything on your blouse."

At this point the tactful Betty created a diversion by inquiring, "When
shall we start going to school, Aunt Persis? Monday?"

"Looks to me as if to-morrow'd be the best day. It's my idea that if a
thing's worth starting at all, you can't start too soon. Some folks
save up their good resolutions for the first of the year, but it's a
better way to begin right off as soon as you think of it. And then
when the New Year comes, you're just that much ahead."

"I'm going to study awful hard," declared Algie, with an air of putting
this good counsel to immediate application.

"Well, I'm not," announced Malcolm with equal decision. And then as
Betty emitted a protesting and shocked murmur, he explained: "Of course
I'll study some, but I've got to save the most of my strength for
playing football when I'm big."

Joel pushed back his chair and took his egg cup from the table.