cked the ashes from his pipe and rose
from his seat in Billings' store, he said, "Billings, have you got some
mainly fresh eggs--eggs you kin recommend?"

"Yes, I have," said Billings, with a grin. "So your hen-food don't work,
Pap?"

Pap chuckled.

"It's a-workin," he said, "and you can give me a dozen o' them eggs.
And, say, you need't tell Sally."

Billings laughed. "I'm on," he said.

Pap put the bag of eggs back of the cracker-box, and put three of them
in his pocket.

When he reached home he quietly slipped around the house and deposited
the three eggs in three nests, and went it.

The next morning Sally greeted him with a smile. "Eggs this mornin',
Pap," she said. "That hen-food did work like a charm. I got three eggs."

Pap ate without comment until he had finished the second egg. He felt
that he could eat a dozen, after his long fast.

"It do seem good to have eggs agin," he said.

That evening, and the next evening he deposited three eggs as before. On
the third morning Sally said: "It's queer about them hens, Pap; they lay,
but they don't cluck like a hen generally does when she lays an egg."

Pap hesitated for a moment.

"It's sich cold weather," he said, "I reckon that's why."

About a week later Sally said: "I do declare to gracious, Pap, them hens
do puzzle me."

Pap moved uneasily in his seat.

"The do puzzle me!" repeated Sally. "Here the are layin' right along as
reg'lar as summer-time, and never cluckin' or lettin' on a bit, and
the queerest thing is they jist lay three eggs every day. It don't seem
natural!"

That night Pap put four eggs in the nests. The next night he put in
five, and the next night three, and the danger into which his wiles had
fallen was averted.

One morning Sally startled him by saying: "Pap, I can't make them hens
out. Here they are a-layin' right along, and all at once they quit
layin' decent sized eggs like they ought, and begin layin' little mean
things no better than banty eggs."

Pap scratched his head.

"You must allow, Sally," he said, "that it's quite a strain on a hen
to keep a-layin' right along through such weather as this, and I'm only
thankful they lay any. Mebby if you give them a leetle more o' that
hen-food they'll do better."

"I believe it," said Sally. "Why, it's wonderful, Pap. I shouldn't be a
bit surprised to find 'em layin' duck eggs if I jist give 'em enough o'
that stuff."

Pap looked closely at her face, but it was innocent