"Excepting when she burnt the custard pies," put in Tom.

"And when she salted the rice pudding!" added Sam.

"Silence, both of you. Randolph, do send them off."

"Very well, I will. Boys, you must go away from the house for an
hour or two."

"Can we go fishing or swimming?" asked Tom.

"No, I don't want you to go near the river, you may get drowned."

"We can both swim," ventured Sam.

"Never mind -- it is not safe -- and your poor father left you in
my, care."

"Can we go down to the village?"

"No, you might get into bad company there."

"Then where shall we go?" came from both boys simultaneously.

Randolph Rover scratched his head in perplexity. He had never had
any children of his own, and to manage his brother's offspring was
clearly beyond him. "You might go down to the cornfield, and
study the formation of the ears -"

"Send them blackberrying," suggested Mrs. Rover. "We want the