dinner.

To Plums's great disappointment, the noonday meal was a lunch, rather
than a dinner, and aunt Dorcas apologised, by saying:

"I was so interested in making the acquaintance of your princess,
Joseph, that, for perhaps the first time in my life, I forgot my
household duties, and it was half past eleven before I remembered we
hadn't had dinner."

"'Cordin' to the slat of stuff you've got here on the table, I should
think you'd been at work all the forenoon," Joe said, approvingly, but
there was the faintest suspicion of jealousy in his heart because the
princess no longer demanded his attention.

Aunt Dorcas had arrayed her in some plain garments which might once have
belonged to herself or her sisters, and the little maid was so well
content with this new friend that she had but curt greetings for the boy
who considered himself her guardian.

Perhaps aunt Dorcas understood from the expression on Joe's face
something of that which was in his mind, when the princess chattered and
cooed to the little woman, paying no attention to the others at the
table, for she said, in a kindly tone:

"It's to be expected, Joseph, that a baby like this one would take more
readily to a woman than a boy."

"Oh, I know that, aunt Dorcas," Joe replied, with a poor assumption of
carelessness, "an' I'm awful glad you like her."

"Indeed I do, Joseph. Even in the short time she has been here I have
realised what a comfort it is to have a child around the house, and I
believe God has been very good in sending you and her to me."

Aunt Dorcas made no mention of being grateful because Plums was a member
of the family, but that young gentleman gave no apparent heed to the
omission, so intent was he upon the pleasure of eating.

Joe had expected aunt Dorcas would question him closely concerning the
journey, and want to know if the princess had eaten the cookies she
sent. He feared he might not be able to answer her questions without
revealing some of the disagreeable events of the morning; but, to his
surprise, she never so much as referred to the subject. All her thoughts
were centred upon the child; how she should amuse her; how provide her
with new garments, and the little woman even went so far as to speculate
upon the time when it would be necessary to send her to school.

Joe did not enjoy the food as he would have done but for having met with
Dan, the detective.

A big lump came into his throat, with the thought that thi