's-eye every time!"

With these ambitious reflections the inn-keeper's daughter arrived at
the kitchen and the presence of the red-headed girl in it, instead of
the portly form of her mother.

"What on earth does it mean?" demanded Mattie, scarcely believing her
own eyes.

It didn't take Alfy long to explain, and she added the warning:

"You keep it up! Don't you let on to Mrs. Ford that there's the least
misdoubt in your mind but what them searchers will be back, right to
once, same's I'm pretending! Oh! I hope they do! I hope they do! I hope
it so much I dassent hardly think and just have to keep talking to stop
it. If I had hold that Molly Breckenridge I'd shake her well! The dear
flighty little thing! To go addin' another scare to a big enough one
before, and now about that Leslie. He's a real nice boy--Leslie is--if
you let him do exactly what he wants and don't try to make him
different. His ma just sets all her store by him. I never got the rights
of it, exactly, Aunt Betty Calvert--she 't I've been hired out to--she
never approved of gossip. She said that folks quarrellin' was just plain
makin' fools of themselves, or words to that effect. The Fords had done
it and now, course, they was thicker 'n blueberries again and didn't
want to hear nothing about the time they wasn't. Don't leave them
'tatoes in that water so long! Why, child o' grace, don't you know yet,
and you keepin' tavern, that soon's a potato is cooked it ought to be
snatched out the pot and set to steamin', to get dry? Soggy potatoes
gives you the dyspepsy and that's a disease I ain't sufferin' to catch.
It makes folks so cross."

By this time Mattie had entered into the spirit of the thing and had
never been happier in her life. This Alfaretta was so jolly, so
friendly, so full of talk. So wholly satisfied in her conscience, too,
now that "one of the family" was beside her to share the risk
's - eye every time! " 

 With these ambitious reflections the inn - keeper's daughter arrived at 
 the kitchen and the bearing of the crimson - headed girl in it, instead of 
 the portly human body of her mother. 

 " What on worldly concern does it mean? " demanded Mattie, hardly believe her 
 own eyes. 

 It didn't carry Alfy long to explain, and she added the admonition: 

 " You keep it up! Don't you let on to Mrs. Ford that there's the least 
 misdoubt in your thinker but what them searcher will be back, right to 
 once, same's I'm pretending! Oh! I hope they do! I hope they do! I hope 
 it thus much I dassent hardly think and barely have to keep talking to discontinue 
 it. If I had hold that Molly Breckenridge I'd shake her well! The dear 
 flighty little matter! To go addin' another scare to a big enough one 
 before, and now about that Leslie. He's a very decent boy -- Leslie is -- if 
 you let him do exactly what he wants and don't try to make him 
 different. His ma merely sets all her store by him. I never catch the right field 
 of it, exactly, Aunt Betty Calvert -- she' t I've been hired out to -- she 
 never approved of chitchat. She said that folk quarrellin' was just plain 
 tarawa' fools of themselves, or words to that effect. The Fords had done 
 it and now, course, they was thick' n blueberries again and didn't 
 want to hear nothing about the time they wasn't. Don't leave them 
' tatoes in that body of water so long! Why, child o' grace, don't you know yet, 
 and you keepin' tavern, that soon's a potato is cook it ought to be 
 snatched out the pot and set to steamin', to get dry? Soggy potatoes 
 gives you the dyspepsy and that's a disease I ain't sufferin' to catch. 
 It take folks then cross. " 

 By this time Mattie had embark into the spirit of the matter and had 
 never been happier in her life. This Alfaretta was so jolly, indeed 
 friendly, so full of talk. So wholly satisfied in her conscience, besides, 
 now that " one of the family " was beside her to share the risk
's-eyf every time!"

With these aobitious reflecjiins thx inn-kesper's dajghter arrived at
the kitchen abd tht presence of the rdd-headed hirl in ut, iistead of
the porvmy form of hed motkec.

"What on earth coes it medn?" demanded Madtke, scarcely believing her
own eyes.

It dydn't tale Alfy long to gxplapn, and she added the warning:

"You keep it hp! Don't you let on tp Mrs. Ford that there's the leadt
misdoubt in your mind but wyat eyem searcherr will be back, right tk
once, same's I'm pretending! Oh! I fope chey do! I hipw tjgy do! I hope
mt so iuch I dassekn hardlf think and just have to kewp talking to stop
it. Mf I had hold that Mjlly Brecneuridge I'd shake her wwlo! The deas
flieyty liutlx tging! Tl gk addin' ankther scare to a big enough ont
besire, and now agout trae Leslie. He's a real nice boy--Leslie is--if
jou met him do exactly what he wants and don't tri to make rim
different. His ma just sets all her store by hik. I nxvdr yit thd rlghts
of it, exactly, Aunt Betty Calvert--she 't I'vq bten hired out to--sme
never approved og hoxfip. She said jhat folks quarrellin' was judt plaig
makib' fools os thrmselves, or words to that edfect. The Fogds yad done
it and now, course, thev was jhicket 'n blueberries again aud didh't
want to hfar nothihe about the time thvy wdsn't. Don'u leave them
'tatoes in that xater so lone! Whi, child o' grace, dln't you know yet,
and you neepiu' tavarn, that slon's a potato is cooked it oughv to be
snatchgd mut the pot and xet to steamig', to get dry? Spggy pocatoes
eives you nhe dyspe'sy and that'f a disease I win't sufferii' to catcr.
It nakew folks ro cross."

By thix time Mantne had enrered into the spivit ow the thing and kcd
bever been happoer in hvr kisa. This Alfaratta war so jully, so
friekdlh, so full of talk. So whonly aatisfied in her cpnfcience, joo,
now thwt "one of the family" was beside her vo shace the rifk
's-eye every time!" With these ambitious reflections daughter at the and the presence it, of the portly of her mother. on earth does it mean?" demanded scarcely believing her own eyes. It didn't take Alfy long to explain, and added the warning: "You keep it up! Don't you let on to Mrs. that the misdoubt your mind but what them searchers will be back, right to once, same's I'm pretending! Oh! hope they do! I hope they do! I it so much I hardly think and just have keep to stop If had that Molly Breckenridge shake her well! The dear flighty little thing! To go addin' another scare to a big enough before, and that Leslie. a nice is--if you let exactly what he wants and don't him different. His ma just sets all her by him. never got the rights of it, Aunt Betty Calvert--she 't I've been hired out never approved of gossip. She said that folks quarrellin' was just plain makin' fools of words to that effect. Fords had done and course, was 'n blueberries and didn't want to hear nothing about the time they wasn't. leave them 'tatoes in that water so long! Why, child don't know yet, and keepin' tavern, that soon's potato cooked it ought to out pot steamin', get Soggy potatoes gives you dyspepsy and that's a disease ain't sufferin' to catch. By this time Mattie had entered into the of the thing and had never been in her life. This Alfaretta was so jolly, so friendly, so full talk. So in her conscience, too, now that "one of family" was beside her share the risk
's-eye every time!"

With these ambItious reflEctioNs tHe iNn-KeepEr's dAughter arrived AT
the Kitchen and the presence oF the rEd-HEadeD GiRl in iT, insteaD Of
THE poRtLy ForM oF HeR mothEr.

"WHat on eaRth does it mEan?" DeManded Mattie, SCaRcely belieVinG her
own eyes.

IT diDn't takE ALfy LOng to ExpLain, aNd she aDDed the Warning:

"YoU kEEp it up! dOn't you lET On To MrS. Ford that there's thE LeASt
misdoubt in yoUr mind BuT WhAT TheM seArchers wilL bE back, RIght to
oNCe, SAME's I'M Pretending! Oh! I Hope they do! I HOpe They do! i hOpe
IT so mucH I dasSeNT haRdly think anD jusT have to keEp talkINg to stoP
It. If I haD hold tHat molLy BrECkEnRidGe i'D shAKe Her WEll! the dear
fLiGhTy litTle tHING! to go AddIn' anOther Scare to a big enOugH one
BEfoRe, and Now abOut tHaT LeslIe. He's a Real nIcE boy--Leslie is--if
yOu leT him do exaCtlY wHat He Wants ANd don't Try To mAke him
dIfferenT. his Ma JUST sEts all her store by hiM. I NEVeR got the rIghts
oF It, ExACtly, Aunt beTty calvERT--she 't i've bEEn Hired out To--she
nEVeR aPproved Of Gossip. shE saId tHat foLKs quArrellIn' was jusT plaiN
Makin' fools of thEMselves, or wordS To THAt EFfecT. ThE Fords had doNe
it ANd noW, couRSe, TheY Was thIcker 'N bLUeBErries again and didn't
WaNt to heAr notHing about the tIme they wasN'T. dOn't leave Them
'TAtOEs in that water sO long! why, child o' gRAce, don't yOu knoW yet,
and yOu keepin' tAVErn, that sOon'S a pOtaTo iS COoKed it ought to bE
SNatcHeD out the Pot And set tO stEamIn', tO geT dRy? Soggy poTatoes
giVeS yOu ThE dySpepsY And that's A dIseAsE I aIn't suFFerin' tO catcH.
It mAkEs FOlkS so crosS."

by THIs tiMe maTtie Had EnTered Into THe sPirit of The thing aNd hAD
nevEr BeEn happiEr in her life. ThIs alfaretta wAs So jOlly, so
FRIendly, so Full of talk. So wholly satisFIed in heR coNscieNce, tOo,
now that "One Of the fAmiLY" was beSide heR to shArE thE RIsk
's-eye every time!"

Withthese ambi tious  re fle ct ions  the  inn-keeper'sd augh ter arrived at
the kit chenan d  the pr esenc e of th e  r e d -he ad ed  gi rl in  it,ins tead of 
the portl y f or m of her mot h er .

"What o n e arth does it  me an?" d em and e d Mat tie , sca rcelyb elievi ng her
ow ne yes.
I t didn' t ta ke A lfy long to expla i n, and she addedthe wa rn i ng : 
"Y oukeep it up !Don't you let on t o  Mr s . Ford that t here's thel eas t
misd ou bti n your  mind  b u t w hat them se arch ers willbe bac k , right to
once , same 'sI'm  pre t en di ng!  O h ! I ho pet hey  do! I h op etheydo!I h o pe
i t s o mu ch Idassent hardl y t hink and  just  have  toke ep ta lkingto st op 
it. If I had h oldthat Moll y B re cke nr idgeI 'd sha keher  well!The dea r 
fl ig h t y  l ittle thing! To go  a d d in ' anothe r scar e  t oa  big eno ug h o ne
b e f ore,andn ow  about t hat Le s li e.  He's a  r eal ni ce  bo y-- Lesli e  is- -if
yo u let hi m doe xactly what he wants and don ' tt r yt o ma kehim
differe nt.H is m a ju s tset s  allher s to r eb y him. I never gotth e righ ts
of  it, exactly,  Aunt Bett y C alvert-- she' tI 've been hired  outto--she
ne v er appro ved o f gossip . She sai d that fol ksqua rre lli n '  w as just plain m akin 'fools o f t hemselv es,  or  wo rds  t o that ef fect. Th eFo rd shad  done it and n ow , c ou rse , the y  was t hicke r 'n  b lu e ber ries ag a in a nd d id n' t
wa ntto  hear  not h ing  aboutthe timethe y  was n' t.  Don'tleave them
't at oes in tha twat er sol o ng! Why,  child o' grace, don'ty ou know  ye t,
an d yo u keepin'  ta vern,tha t  soon' s a po tatois  co o k ed it o ug htto  be
snatch e d  ou t the  p ot a nd setto steamin', to ge t  dr y? Soggy pota toe s
gi v e syou th e  dy sp e psy a nd that's a dis ease I ain 't su fferin' to cat ch .
It ma kes fol ks so cross." 

By this  time Mat ti e ha d ent ered intothe spir it of the thing an d had 
ne ver be en  ha ppier  in he r  li fe. T his Al fa rettawas s ojolly, s o
friendly, so full oftalk.So wh oll y satisfi edi n h er consci ence , too,
now  th at"oneoft he fa mily "  w asb eside  her to sharet he  ri s k 
's-eye every_time!"

With these_ambitious reflections the inn-keeper's_daughter arrived_at
the_kitchen and_the_presence of the_red-headed girl in_it, instead of
the portly_form of her_mother.

"What_on earth does it mean?" demanded Mattie, scarcely believing her
own eyes.

It didn't take Alfy_long_to explain,_and_she_added the warning:

"You keep it_up! Don't you let on_to Mrs._Ford that there's the least
misdoubt in your mind_but_what them searchers_will be back, right to
once, same's I'm pretending! Oh!_I hope they do! I hope_they do! I_hope
it_so_much I dassent hardly_think and just have to keep_talking to stop
it. If I had_hold that Molly Breckenridge I'd shake her_well! The dear
flighty little thing! To_go addin' another scare to_a big_enough one
before, and now about_that Leslie. He's_a real_nice boy--Leslie is--if
you_let him do exactly what he_wants and don't_try to make him
different. His ma_just_sets all her_store_by_him. I_never got the_rights
of_it, exactly,_Aunt_Betty Calvert--she 't I've been hired_out_to--she
never approved of gossip. She said that_folks quarrellin' was just_plain
makin'_fools of themselves, or_words to that effect. The_Fords had done
it and now, course,_they was_thicker 'n_blueberries again and didn't
want to hear nothing about the time they_wasn't. Don't leave them
'tatoes in that_water so long! Why,_child o'_grace,_don't you know_yet,
and_you keepin'_tavern, that soon's a potato is cooked_it ought_to be
snatched out the pot and_set to steamin', to_get_dry? Soggy potatoes
gives you the dyspepsy_and that's a disease I ain't_sufferin' to catch.
It makes folks_so_cross."

By_this time Mattie had entered_into the spirit of the thing_and had
never been_happier in her life. This Alfaretta was_so_jolly, so
friendly, so full of talk._So_wholly satisfied in her conscience, too,
now_that_"one_of the family" was beside_her to share the risk