“Dere ain’t no smell on eart’ ner unner de eart’ to beat dis smell o’ burnin’ pertaters!” growled Rachel angrily, as she planked the blackened cooking pot down upon the ground.
“Oh my! The kitchen is full of smoke!” exclaimed Janet, who had poked her head in at the open door.
“Did you’se ’speck it to be sweet an’ free as hebben?” snapped Rachel scornfully.
Mrs. James said nothing but quickly drew the two girls aside to the other door to permit Rachel to calm her perturbed nerves. Then Natalie remembered her beloved garden.
“Jimmy, who could have been so mean as to do that?”
“Of course, I wasn’t present, Natalie, dear. But I have heard that crows love to dig up corn kernels in a newly-planted field, so that farmers have to use scarecrows to keep them off. Maybe some sort of a bird found the toothsome greens and called to all the family to hurry and feast while there was time.”
Natalie pondered this idea for a time, but it never occurred to her to lay the trouble at the heels of the chickens. But she determined to lose no time in dressing up the most frightful scarecrow that was conceivable.
After the unscorched remainder of the supper was served, Rachel came to the dining-room to make a suggestion.
“Ef we-all git up earlier than us’al to-morrer mornin’ we kin git all dem rooted-up plants back in the groun’ afore sun-up. Mebbe it will rain to-morrer, then no harm’ll come of diggin’ up all dem roots.”
The mere possibility of rain made Natalie jump up from the table and, quickly excusing herself, run out on the porch to study the heavens.