eaned forward, with their red lips parted,
and watched their uncle anxiously as he carved the beefsteak. There
was evidently not much of it, and their anxiety grew. When it was
separated into three portions, two of which were dispensed to the
guests, and the other, having been declined by their grandmother and
mother, was appropriated by their uncle, anxiety lapsed into
certainty.

"I want some beefsteak!" wailed each, in wofully injured tones.

Mr. Tuxbury set his mouth hard, and pushed his plate with a jerk
toward his niece. Her face was very red, but she took it--she was
aware there was no other course open--divided the meat impartially,
and gave each child a piece with a surreptitious thump.

Mr. Tuxbury, with a moodily knitted forehead and a smiling mouth,
asked the guests miserably if they would have some veal stew. It was
perfectly evident that if they accepted, there would be nothing
whatever left for the family to eat. They declined in terrified
haste; indeed, both Lois and her mother had been impelled to pass
their portions of beefsteak over to the children, but they had not
dared.

The children wished for veal stew also, and when they had eaten their
meagre spoonfuls, clamored persistently for more.

"There isn't any more," whispered their mother, with two little
vigorous side-shakes. "If you don't keep still, I shall take you away
from the table. Ain't you ashamed?"

Then the little girls pouted and sniffed, but warily, lest the threat
be carried into effect.

The rest of the family tried to ignore the embarrassing situation and
converse easily with the guests, but it was a difficult undertaking.

Lois bent miserably over her plate, and every question appeared to
shock her painfully. She seemed an obstinately bashful young girl, to
whom it was useless to talk. Mrs. Field replied at length to all
interrogations with a certain quiet hardness, which had come into her
manner since her daughter's arrival, but she never started upon a
subject of her own accord.

It was a relief to every one when the meagre dinner lapsed into the
borrowed pie. Mrs. Low cut it carefully into the regulation six
pieces, while the children as carefully counted the people and
watched the distribution. The result was not satisfactory. The older
little girl, whose sense of injury was well developed, set up a
shrill demand.

"I want a piece of Mis' Bennett's pie," said she. "Mother, I want a
piece of Mis' Bennett's pie!"

T