certain it must be very late and, in consequence, was almost dressed
when Isaiah knocked at the door to tell her breakfast would be ready
pretty soon. A few minutes later she appeared in the kitchen bearing the
pitcher from the washstand in her room.

"What you doin' with that?" demanded Mr. Chase, who was leaning against
the door-post looking out into the yard.

"I was goin' to fill it," said the child. "There wasn't any water to
wash with."

Isaiah sniffed. "I ain't had no time to fill wash pitchers," he
declared. "That one's been on my mind for more'n a fortni't but I've
had other things to do. You can wash yourself in that basin in the sink.
That's what the rest of us do."

Mary-'Gusta obediently washed in the tin basin and rubbed her face and
hands dry upon the roller towel behind the closet door.

"Am I late for breakfast?" she asked, anxiously.

"No, I guess not. Ain't had breakfast yet. Cap'n Shad's out to the barn
'tendin' to the horse and Zoeth's feedin' the hens. They'll be in
pretty soon, if we have luck. Course it's TIME for breakfast, but that's
nothing. I'm the only one that has to think about time in this house."

The girl regarded him thoughtfully.

"You have to work awful hard, don't you, Mr. Chase?" she said.