“Squash!” burst out Johnny, raising his empty plate.
Teddy stopped eating and looked at Johnny. The boy’s eyes stood out hungrier than ever. Mrs. York quietly refilled his plate.
“Oh, she’s the dearest girl, mother, you ever saw. If you’d only seen her in the loft,” said Jenny, “tugging away at that great ladder, and then carrying me up in her arms, and so gay about it, as though she did it every day. I was frightened almost to death, but when I saw how calm she was, it made me quiet. I thought if I must die, it would not be alone. And then I thought that was selfish and wanted her to go and leave me to my fate. Oh, mother, it was a happy day for me when she came to the mill.”
“It was a happy day for us all, Jenny,” said Mrs. York. “What should we do without our singing Jenny? Have some more beef, Teddy. I declare you’re not eating anything.”
Teddy looked up to see if she was not making fun of him for he had already made away with two generous supplies. But, no, there was no fun in her eye, and he passed his plate.
“Yes,” sighed Mr. York, “we have much to be grateful for. Poor health is an awful pullback to a man who’s willin’ to do all he can, but to lose children after they’ve begun to earn something, is a special dispensation of Providence that goes agin’ the grain. I always told Small that mill of his would end in—”
“Squash!” sung out Johnny, lifting an empty plate again.
“Squash!” echoed number four.
“Squash!” chimed in number five.
Teddy saw three uplifted plates and ceased to wonder at the enormous provision. Without a murmur Mrs. York plied the big iron spoon once more, and the youngsters again set to work.