Elizabeth Ann was very much surprised to hear Cousin Ann's voice
calling, "Dinner!" down the stairs. It did not seem possible that the
whole morning had gone by. "Here," said Aunt Abigail, "just put that pat
on a plate, will you, and take it upstairs as you go. I've got all I can
do to haul my own two hundred pounds up, without any half-pound of
butter into the bargain." The little girl smiled at this, though she did
not exactly know why, and skipped up the stairs proudly with her butter.

Dinner was smoking on the table, which was set in the midst of the great
pool of sunlight. A very large black-and-white dog, with a great bushy
tail, was walking around and around the table, sniffing the air. He
looked as big as a bear to Elizabeth Ann; and as he walked his great red
tongue hung out of his mouth and his white teeth gleamed horribly.
Elizabeth Ann shrank back in terror, clutching her plate of butter to
her breast with tense fingers. Cousin. Ann said, over her shoulder: "Oh,
bother! There's old Shep, got up to pester us begging for scraps! Shep!
You go and lie down this minute!" To Elizabeth Ann's astonishment and
immense relief, the great animal turned, drooping his head sadly, walked
back across the floor, got upon the couch again, and laid his head down
on one paw very forlornly, turning up the whites of his eyes meekly at
Cousin Ann.

Aunt Abigail, who had just pulled herself up the stairs, panting, said,
between laughing and puffing: "I'm glad I'm not an animal on this farm.
Ann does boss them around so." "Well, SOMEbody has to!" said Cousin Ann,
advancing on the table with a platter. This proved to have chicken
fricassee on it, and Elizabeth Ann's heart melted in her at the smell.
She loved chicken gravy on hot biscuits beyond anything in the world,
but chickens are so expensive when you buy them in the market that Aunt