h her. If Mrs. Davenport left the room when Beth was
awake, Beth at once worried herself into a high fever. The strain was
telling upon Mrs. Davenport, but so great was her anxiety that she
would hardly take needed rest.

One day Beth was asleep, and Maggie tip-toed into the room and
whispered to Mrs. Davenport:

"Dear Miss Mary, won't yo' please let dis ole mammy watch de honey lamb
for jes' a little while. Yo' knows I lub her wid all my heart, an' I
wouldn't let nuffin harm de pet for de world. Yo' go into de odder
room an' rest awhile. If de precious lamb wants yo', I'll call right
away, honest."

Thus urged, Mrs. Davenport decided to grant Maggie's request, and she
left the room without disturbing Beth's slumbers.

Maggie sat down by the cot. The sight of Beth so emaciated melted
Maggie almost to tears. She thus soliloquized:

"Dat horrid ole medicine man, he jes' ought to be made to live on
gruels de rest of his life, so he ought. It's jes' ter'ble to starve
de chile de way he does. I'd like to be her doctah awhile. I'd order
chicken and possum, an'----"

Suddenly Beth's eyes opened. "Maggie, what did you cook for dinner
to-day?"

Maggie confided to her husband afterwards:

"Law, Titus, does yo' tink I could sit up dar an' tell dat precious
chile we had chicken when I knew her little stomack was jes' groanin'
for chicken? No, 'deed. Do I am deaconess, I'd rather be burned for a
lie. So I jes' answers as pert-like as pos'ble. 'Law, honey, we jes'
had mutton like yo'r brof is made of.'"

Beth, however, was not to be deceived. Her senses had grown unusually
acute during her sickness. She pointed her finger at Maggie and said:

"Maggie, that's not true. You had chicken and biscuits, for I smelled
them. Oh, I'm so hungry."

Maggie sighed sympathetically. "Law, honey, would yo' like some brof?"

"Broth," repeated Beth almost in tears. "I hate broth. I'll starve
before I eat any more. I want chicken. Please, please get me some."

The appeal melted Maggie completely. She arose and called Duke from
the doorway.

"Duke," she said, pointing to the cot, "don't yo' let any one come near
missy till I come back. Do yo' understand?"

The delighted dog wagged his tail, and Maggie left the room.

Duke's first impulse was to rush up to the cot, and show his joy in
true dog fashion. He longed to cover Beth's face and hands with
kisses. He knew, however, that excitement was bad for her.