"Mercy gracious goodness! Elly Precious is eatin' bread an' molasses.
He's only et one slice, an' most o' that's on his outside. They aint'
an'thing worse'n molasses the matter with El--"

"There! Oh, there!" As another mournful cry split the air.--"Oh, that!
What is it? Who is it?"

"Mercy gra--why, that's Carruthers bein' a steam whistle. Did he scare
you? He does do it pretty loud when he's gettin' up steam; you see, he
don't know how loud he does it, because he's deaf o' hearin'. We can't
bear to lower him, but we only let him be a steam whistle for a
treat--when he's 'specially good--Mother said to. Stefana found him
washin' his face 'free greatest' this mornin', so she let him--.Quick,
shut your ears! He's goin' off again!"

'But, this time, Miss Theodosia heard, unalarmed. To her own surprise,
she listened almost enjoyingly. To be able to make a noise like that!
The sheer vitality and youth of it compelled admiration.

"If I could do that--" began Miss Theodosia's thought, then broke off
hastily as the mental vision of herself in the act of bein' a steam
whistle appeared to her.

"You do it this way," explained Evangeline, inserting a forefinger in
each corner of her mouth and preparing to steam-whistle.

"No, no, I don't do it any way!" Miss Theodosia protested smilingly. "Do
you think--do you think, perhaps, he has been sufficiently rewarded for
washing his own face, now? Because, you see, I have callers on my