"Do you sleep here at night?" asked Diddie.
"Yes, honey, I'se skyeert ter go out any-whar; I'se so skyeert uv
Tight-fis' Smith."
"He's awful mean, ain't he?" asked Dumps.
"Dat he is chile," replied the man; "he's cruel an' bad."
"Then don't you ever go back to him," said Dumps. "You stay right here
an' me'n Diddie'll bring you ev'ything ter eat, an' have you fur our
nigger."
The man laughed softly at that idea, but said he would stay there for
the present, anyway; and the children, bidding him good-bye, and
telling him they would be sure to bring him something to eat the next
day, went back to their playmates at the ditch.
"Tot," said Diddie, we gave all the picnic away to a poor old man who
was very hungry; but you don't mind, do you? we'll go back to the
house, and Mammy will give you just as many cakes as you want."
Tot was a little bit disappointed, for she had wanted to eat the
picnic in the woods; but Diddie soon comforted her, and before they
reached the house she was as merry and bright as any of them.
The next morning Diddie and Dumps were very much perplexed to know how
to get off to the gin-house without being seen. There was no
difficulty about obtaining the provisions; their mother always let
them have whatever they wanted to have tea-parties with, and this was
their excuse for procuring some slices of pie and cake, while Aunt
Mary gave them bread and meat, and Douglas gave them some cold
buttered biscuit with ham between.
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