"Yo' wasn' winkin' any when Ah fust come into de room, lemme tell yo',"cackled Aunt Fanny with caustic freedom.

"See here, now, Aunt Fanny, I'm not going to stand any lecture from youthis afternoon. When a fellow hasn't slept a--"

"Who's a-lecturin' anybody, Ah'd lak to know? Ah'm jes' tellin' yo'what yo' was a-doin' when Ah came into de room. Yo' was a-sleepin'p'etty doggone tight, lemme tell yo'. Is yo' goin' out fo' yo' walkbefo' b'eakfus, honey? 'Cause if yo' is, yo' all 'll be obleeged toclimb out'n dat baid maghty quick-like. Yo' baf is ready, Miss Bev'ly."

Beverly splashed the water with unreasonable ferocity for a few minutes,trying to enjoy a diversion that had not failed her until this morning.

"Aunt Fanny," she announced, after looking dimly through her windowinto the mountains above, "if you can't brush my hair--ouch!--any easierthan this, I'll have someone else do it, that's all. You're a regularold bear."

"Po' lil' honey," was all the complacent "bear" said in reply, withoutaltering her methods in the least.

"Well," said Beverly threateningly, with a shake of her head, "becareful, that's all. Have you heard the very news?"

"Wha' very news, Miss Bev'ly?"

"We're going back to Washin'ton."

"Thank de Lawd! When?"