t larger barrel. I didn't depend on Tom
Mayberry, but I did on you, Elinory. This just goes to show that if you
put a little trust in people they are mighty apt to rise in the pan to
a occasion. You all look like you've been having a real good time!"

CHAPTER IV

LOVE, THE CURE-ALL

"Eat milk, thank ma'am, please, Mother Lady," demanded Martin Luther as
he stood on the top step in front of Mother Mayberry, who, with Miss
Wingate beside her, sat sewing away the early hours of the morning. A
tiny blue-check shirt was taking shape under Mother's skilful fingers,
and the singer lady was deep in the mysteries of the fore and aft of a
minute pair of jeans trousers. The limitations of young Ez's wardrobe
had necessitated the speedy construction of one for the little adopt,
and Miss Wingate's education along the lines of needle control was
progressing at what she considered a remarkable rate.

"Why, Martin Luther!" She looked down at him over a carefully poised
needle. "How can you be hungry when you ate your breakfast not two
hours ago?" she added with the intent to beguile him from his demand.

"All gone, thank ma'am, please," he answered, looking out from under
his curl with a pathetic cast of his blue eyes, and at the same time
spreading both hands over his entire vital region.

"I reckon maybe we'd better fill him up again," said Mother. "Them legs
still look 'most too much like knitting-needles to suit me, and I
kinder want to feel him to be sure his stomick haven't growed to his
backbone. Anyway, you can't never measure a boy's food by his size.
Please run and get him a glass of buttermilk and a biscuit, child,
while I finish setting in this sleeve. Let me see them britches legs
'fore you put 'em down. Dearie me, if you ain't gone and made 'em both
for the same leg! Too bad, with all them pretty baste-stitches!"

"Oh!" gasped Miss Wingate in dismay; "have I ruined them?"

"No, indeed, just turn the left leg inside out and hem it up again--or
you might make two more right legs to sew on to these. It would be a
good thing to double one failing mistake up into two successes,
wouldn't it? Often bad luck turned inside out makes a cap that fits
plumb easy. While you fill the boy up, I'll cut out his other legs for
you to baste right this time. Take a peep around the garden before you
come back to see if Spangles have got her chickens in the wet weeds. I
hadn't oughter let her pretty feathers make me distrust he