As she beat upon it now with a long, rusty iron spoon, the din that
filled the surrounding air was worse than any made by the noisiest gong
ever beaten before a railroad restaurant. Uncle Billy, hoeing in a
distant field, gave an answering whoop, and waved his old hat.
The children raced into the house and tore the newspaper from the table.
Under it were three cold boiled potatoes, a dish of salt, a cup of
molasses, and a big pone of corn-bread. As head of the family, John Jay
divided everything but the salt exactly into thirds, and wasted no time
in ceremonies before beginning. As soon as the last crumb was finished
he spread an old quilt in front of the fireplace, where the embers,
though covered deep in ashes, still kept the hearth warm.
No coaxing was needed to induce Ivy to lie down. Even if she had not
been tired and sleepy she would have obeyed. John Jay's word was law in
his grandmother's absence. Then he sat down on the doorstep and waited
for her to go to sleep.
"If she wakes up and gets out on the road while we're gone, won't I
catch it, though!" he exclaimed to Bud in an undertone.
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