bjected, or complied with
a very bad grace.

"I'll tell ye one thing," said Mary Ann the cook, one day when neither
Jack nor Jim would go to the store for her, though it would only have
taken a few minutes to make the trip on the bicycle,--"I'll tell ye one
thing, young sirs. Ye can't expect to have a bit of luck with that
boat ye're buildin'."

"No luck! Why not, I'd like to know?" inquired Jack.

"Because all four of ye boys are neglectin' what ye ought to do, and
takin' for this the time which by right should be spent on other
things; because ye've given yer fathers and mothers more cause to find
fault with ye durin' the last two or three weeks than for long before,
all on account of it; because ye're none of ye so good-natured as ye
used to be. I've heard that havin' a bee in the bonnet spoils a body;
but faith I think a boat on the brain is worse. There's one thing,
though, that my mind's made up to. I'll make no more cookies for young
gentlemen that are not polite and obligin'."

Here was a threat! But, though the boys were secretly somewhat
disconcerted, they would not give Mary Ann the satisfaction of seeing
that either her prophecy or warning had any effect upon them.

"Pshaw, Mary Ann, you're so cross to-day!" declared Jim.

"It isn't always the good people who seem to have the best luck,"
continued Jack, braving it out. "And how can you tell whether we'll
succeed or not? You are not a fortune-teller."

"Heaven forbid!" ejaculated Mary Ann, devoutly. "And, to be sure,
there's plenty of people that gets on very successfully in the world,
that don't seem to deserve to prosper half as much as others we know
of. But God sees what we don't, and this much we may be certain of:
wrong-doin' is always punished sooner or later; while we know that, in
the end, those that tries to do right gets their full share of
blessin's and a good bit over and above. I'm not sayin' indeed that ye
won't build yer boat, only that if ye neglect yer duty ye'll have
reason to regret it."

"Well, don't cast an 'evil eye' on the boat, anyway," said Jim; "for if
we don't finish it, how can we ever give you a row on the creek?"

"Is it _I_ ride in yer boat!" exclaimed Mary Ann, who was stout and
short-breathed. The idea of trusting herself to the tender mercies of
the lads, and venturing into any craft of their construction, was so
ludicrous that she forgot her vexation and laughed heartily. "Faith,
it's fine ballast I'