ed-room opened out of the kitchen, and the door was always standing
ajar. Thus Charlie's quick eye had detected the boiler while sitting at
the dining table directly opposite her room. As he now paused a moment in
the kitchen before crossing the forbidden precincts, the deep-drawn
sonorous breathings convinced him that Mr. and Mrs. Salsify Mumbles were
lulled in their deepest nocturnal slumbers. Gently dropping on his knees,
he crawled softly to the object of plunder. Lucky chance! the cover was
off, and the first thing his hand touched was a knife plunged to the hilt
in a large loaf. This he captured and deposited in his bag. Then followed
pies, tarts, etc., and last a small jar, which he took under his arm,
and, thus encumbered, crept on all-fours to the kitchen door, where Jenny
relieved him of the jar. They softly ascended the stairs, where Amy was
ready to receive them.

"How dared you take that jar?" said she; "what does it contain?"

"I don't know," said Charlie; "but I know what my pillow-case contains.
It was never so well lined before, Amy."

Thus saying, he commenced removing its contents, while Jenny pulled the
knife out of the loaf, which proved to be pound cake, uncovered the jar,
and pronounced it filled with cherry jam. "Ay," said Amy, "there's where
those cherries I saw her buying of Dilly Danforth went, then. She told me
they were so dirty she had to throw them away. But I think you had better
go and carry these things back."

"Never," said Charlie; "I am going to eat my fill once in Mrs. Mumbles'
house."

"But what will she say when she discovers her loss?"

"That is just what I'm anxious to know," said Jenny.

"So am I," returned Charlie, chopping off a large slice of pound cake and
dividing two pies in halves. "The old lady goes in for treating her
visitors well, don't she? I dare say these condiments were intended to
supply her guests for years. I wish we had some spoons to eat this cherry
jam."

"You had better carry that back," said Amy.

"No, I will not go down on my knees and crawl under Mrs. Salsify's bed
again to-night on any consideration."

"Neither would I," said Jenny, "the old adage is 'as well be killed for a
sheep as a lamb;' so let us enjoy ourselves to the utmost in our power.
Here is food enough, of the best kind too, to serve us well for the
remainder of our stay here, only a week longer you know. I'll keep it
locked in my trunk."

So saying, they cleared away, and Cha