but she went over the limit. What d’ye sp’ose I saw that lady do? She’d made some punkin jam — had it on the table in glass jars with the tops off. The dawg got up on the table and stuck his paw into one of them. What did she do? She jest took holt of the dawg and wrung the syrup off his paw back into the jar! Then screwed the top on and set it in the pantry. I sets open the door and says to her, ‘Go!’ The dame went, and I fired the jars of punkin after her, two at a time. Thought I’d die laughing to see old Rachel run — with them punkin jars raining after her. She’s told everywhere I’m crazy, so nobody’ll come for love or money.”

“But Cissy must have some one to look after her,” insisted Valancy, whose mind was centred on this aspect of