Amarilly of Clothes-line Alley

"I ain't even hed a beau, yet," she sighed, "but the Boarder says that I

will--that red-headed girls ain't never old maids from ch'ice."

With this sustaining thought, she proceeded to the dining-room. She had

been taught at the Guild how to wait on table, and she proved herself to

be very deft and capable in putting her instructions into effect.

"Here's two dollars," the complacent bride said to Amarilly before

departing. "One is for serving so nicely, and one is for the surplice. I

told them in the kitchen to put you up a basket of things to take home

to the children."

Amarilly thanked her profusely and then went home. She deposited her two

dollars in the family exchequer, and proceeded to distribute the

contents of the basket.

"Now, set around the table here, and take what I give you. Thar ain't

enough of one thing to go hull way round, except fer ma. She's agoin' to

hev some of each. Yes, you be, ma. This here baskit's mine. Here's a

sandwich, some chicken, salid, jell, two kinds of cake, and some ice-

cream fer you. Bud can hev first pick now, 'cause he ain't so strong as

the rest of you. All right, Bud; take the rest of the ice-cream and some

cake."

"'Tain't fair! I'm a girl, and I'm younger than Bud. I'd orter choose

first," sobbed Cory.

"Shut up, Co! You'll wake Iry, and then he'll hev to hev something, and

if he sleeps right through, thar'll be jest so much more fer you.

'Twon't hurt him to miss what he don't know about. All right, Cory, you

can hev cake and jell. That's a good boy, Bud, to give her two tastes of

the cream, and ma'll give you two more. Bobby? Sandwiches and pickle.

Milt? Chicken and salid. Flammy and Gus, pickle and sandwich is all

that's left fer you. The rest of this chicken is agoin' into the

Boarder's dinner pail to-morrer."