"Dinner! I ain't had no--"

Miss Clegg screamed.

"Ain't had no dinner! Why, I give it to Jathrop with my own hands.
Everythin' hot, 'n' the whole tucked up nice in the cloth 't I put
over the bird-cage nights. I made the tea awful strong so 's to keep
up your strength, 'n' there was a scramble o' eggs, 'n' one was fresh,
I _know_. Whatever c'n he have done with it, do you suppose?"

"Maybe he ate--" Mrs. Lathrop began.

Her friend chopped her off with a second scream.

"Ate it!--Jathrop Lathrop!--Do you mean to tell me 't I've been
stewin' myself to feed Jathrop Lathrop! 'N' that good egg too. 'N' all
my tea. I declare, but I am aggravated. The fire 's out now 'n'
everythin' 's put away or I'd go 'n' cook you suthin' else, but I'd
never trust that young man to carry it over."

"I ain't hun--" said Mrs. Lathrop.

"It's certainly your good luck 'f you ain't. But to think o' him
havin' the face to eat up your dinner! But he's got the face fr
anythin'. 'F it wasn't f'r hurtin' your feelin's, Mrs. Lathrop, I'd
jus' up 'n' tell you 't, to my order o' thinkin', Jathrop always did
look more like a frog 'n he did like his own father, 'n' I'll take my
Bible oath 't I've told Mrs. Macy that a hunderd times. She says 't he
ain't active enough to remind her o' no frog, but she always owns up
't his eyes 'n' mouth is like one. 'F I was talkin' to any one but