was temptingly set out with mud pies and cakes and green leaves, and
just such delicacies as Riar and Diddie could pick up.

As soon as Mrs. Washington laid eyes on the mud cakes and pies, she
exclaimed,

"Oh, Diddie, I'm er goin' ter be the cook, an' make the pies an'
things."

"I doin' ter be de took an' make de itty mud takes," said Miss Unker
Bill, and the table at once became a scene of confusion.

"No, Dumps," said Diddie, "somebody's got to be stoppin' at the hotel,
an' I think the niggers ought to be the cooks."

"But I want ter make the mud cakes," persisted Dumps, an' Tot can be the
folks at the hotel--she and the doll-babies."

"No, I doin' ter make de mud takes, too," said Tot, and the hotel seemed
in imminent danger of being closed for want of custom, when a happy
thought struck Dilsey.

"Lor-dy, chil'en! I tell yer: le's play Ole Billy is er gemman what writ
ter Miss Diddie in er letter dat he was er comin' ter de hotel, an' ter
git ready fur 'im gins he come."

"Yes," said Diddie, "and lets play Dumps an' Tot was two mo' niggers I
had ter bring up from the quarters to help cook; an' we'll make out Ole
Billy is some great general or somethin', an' we'll have ter make lots
of cakes an' puddin's for 'im. Oh, I know; we'll play he's Lord