" Now you done it, sure ! What'll main say when I goes home
and shows her them broke jars? And what'll the ]eddies down
yander say when they sees the mess in thet basket ? And mebby
they won't give me a cent for it, and then mani'll be sure to lick
me." And the tears started to his eyes as he pictured his coming
fate.
" Oh, come," I said reassuringly, " perhaps it isn't as bad as
you think." But a rivulet of milk, gradually widening to larger
proportions as it crept away from the basket, belied my assurance.
" Where were you taking this ?" I asked, as I removed the
fragments of three jars, and surveyed an indistinguishable mass
of yellow and white streaks which had been eggs, with several
pats of butter peeping out from the mixup.
" Down to the leddies—down yander," and he pointed , toward
the lake. " And them's the last eggs we had, and main can't
spare no more butter nor milk," and his wailing began anew.
"Oh well, I'll pay for 'em. Here's a half dollar," and I
handed the boy the silver. At that his face brightened for an
instant, only to darken again with gloom.
" But what'll the leddies say when I don't bring them nothin'
this mornin' ?" he repeated, dolefully.
" Wait a bit," I said, turtling again to the basket. " There's
no use crying over spilt milk, but maybe there are a few eggs
left." And I began to sort out the contents rather gingerly. But
the butter pats, done up so nicely in cool leaves, had formed a
sort of union with the eggs, and were " one and inseparable."
Out of the original two dozens I found five which seemed capable
of transportation. These I carefully cleaned and packed again in
the basket. Then, with a sense of having made full amends for
my thoughtlessness, I picked up my traps and hurried on. An
other half-hour found me safely ensconced on a big flat rock jut
ting out from The Point,' slowly unreeling my line. A few
seconds later I dropped •the hook into the pool. There was a
moment of suspense while the bait sank, and then, with a terrific
yank, the line spun out. I played my prize a bit, and then with
a sudden dextrous motion, landed him high and dry on the rock
beside me. He proved to be a catty weighing perhaps a pound
and a half.
" Not so bad for a starter," I said to myself, as I baited and
cast again. Another period of waiting ensued, during which the
HER BROTHER'S SISTER