The Belgian Twins

Marie was just turning up the corner of her apron to wipe her eyes, and Jan was looking at nothing at all and winking very hard, when good Mo

h the babies while I put on the soup-kettle and fix the greens for dinner? They are beginning to climb

space in front of the cabin where the babies had room to roll about. Half an hour later, when Mother D

t a clever boy you must be to learn so quickly

he other side of the deck. "I'm trying to make the 'Old Woman' look as if she had no cargo abo

ike a foghorn on a dark night. The Germans won't have any trouble in find

ked out over the q

can see," he said, "but I'l

ddenly on a coil of rope. Her potatoes spilled over the deck, while a wail from the front of the boat announced that one of the babies had bumped, too. Mother De Smet picked herself up and ran to see what was the matter with the baby, while Father De Smet seized a long pole and hurried forward. Joseph left the mule to browse upon the grass b

s downcast face. "It isn't the first time the 'Old Woman' has stuck her nose in the mud, and

le lurch toward the

ather De Smet. "Hard aport with the

of a delicious bunch of thistles and started her up the tow-path. Jan sprang to the tiller,

ly said mildly, "Stick to your job, son, whatever it is," and went on covering his potatoes with empty boxes and pieces of sailcloth. Jan paid such strict attention to the tiller

adful things were going on all about them. While Father De Smet's eyes, under their bushy brows, kept close watch

Boom, and by ten o'clock Joseph was tired of tr

aboard now?"

Smet loo

o drive the mule

dn't I!"

a mule before?" Fath

rove old Pier up from the field with a load o

oseph, and in a moment the gangplank was

Smet as he was about to draw in the plank. "The

all about them, dotted here and there with farmhouses, and in the distance the s

don't get too near Netteke's hind legs. She doesn't kn

had taken up Netteke's reins and was waiting for the signal to start. Joseph too

ht it good fun, but by and by, as the sun grew hot, driving a mule on a tow

e is moving at all! I've been measuring by that farmhouse across the river for a long time, and she hasn't crawled up to it ye

t's time to eat, and so will you,"

remark. "I know what I'll do," he went on, chuckling; "I'll get some burrs and stick them

eized J

ied. "Father De Smet told me especially

ss a horse and drive home a load of grain from the field, there isn't much I can't do with a mule!"

better in the long run than to attempt to force a livelier gait, and Netteke was well aware of what was expected of her. She resented being interfere

st out of reach of her mouth. But Netteke was really offended. She made no effort to get it

e matter?"

. "I hoped he wouldn't notice

n't go at all. I think she's

pper. "Give her something to eat

Marie, "but she won

all there is to it. We'll just have to wait until she is ready to go again. Wh

ppeared beside her husb

set, she's set, and we must just make the best of it. It's lucky it's dinner-time. We'll eat, and maybe

k," he said, "and com

efore Netteke, but she was in no mood for blandishment

in, and because it was so small and stuffy, and there were too many of them, anyway, to get into it comfortably, they each took a bowl of soup as Mother De Smet handed it to them and sat down on the