way, 'Lias, though it are a shame," said Mother
as she looked closely at the injured paw. "The bone's all crushed. I'll
tell you what to do; just take him around to Doctor Tom's office and
he'll fix it in no time for you, in a way I couldn't never do. He won't
even limp, maybe." And Mother Mayberry made the offer of a piece of
skilled surgery with the utmost generosity.

'Lias clasped the puppy closer, looked down and drew one of his bare
toes along a crack in the floor. "I'd rather you'd do it," he said.

"Now, don't that just beat all!" exclaimed Mother with both amusement
and exasperation in her face. "Looks like I can't even get Tom a puppy
practice."

"Why, 'Lias Hoover, I'm ashamed of you not to want Doctor Tom to fix
his foot, and thank you, too! Didn't Bud Pike tell you last night how
he cut his little brother's mouth and didn't hurt him a bit, neither?
Bud is going to get him to fix his next stubbed toe hisself. Bud ain't
no bigger boy than you, but he knows a good doctor same as Mis'
Mayberry and me does when he sees one." There are ways and ways of
controverting masculine obstinancy, and evidently life had taught Mrs.
Pratt the efficacy of beguilement. Without more reluctance 'Lias
disappeared around the house in the direction of the office wing.

"I'm mighty glad you come along this morning, Bettie," said Mother
Mayberry, as she threaded a new needle with a long thread. Little
Bettie had seated herself on the floor and begun operations with the
spool and a piece of string that vastly amused little Hoover, whom Mrs.
Pratt deposited opposite her within reach of her own balancing foot,
for the baby's age and backbone were both at a tender period. "I've got
a kinder worry on my mind that I'd like to get a little help from you
as to know what to do about. Have you noticed that both the Deacon and
Mis' Bostick look mighty peaky? Course Deacon have been sick, and she
have had a spell of nursing, but they don't neither of them pick up
like they oughter. Mis' Bostick puts me in mind of a little,
withered-up, gray seed pod when all the down have blowed away, and the
Deacon's britches fair flap around his poor thin shanks. Something or
other just makes me sense what is the matter."

"And me, too, Mis' Mayberry. I've been a-feeling of it for some time,
since we all quit out with the nursing and taking 'em complimentary
dishes of truck. They is--is hungry." Mrs. Pratt brought out the
statement of the fact in a posit