“Faddie!” she called, as she called when she meant loving—and he swung her up on his shoulder and ran on with her. And they burst into the open space before the cave just as the shadow-stick pointed straight to the top of the circle thing.
There, before the door of the cave, was the flat rock, all set with hot baked meat and tooth- some piles of roast vegetables and beans that were not burned. And the Prehistoric Woman, with vine-leaves in her hair, was looking straight before her and smiling. And that was the first dinner of the world that was ever served on time, and since that day, to be late for dinner is one of the things which nobody may do; and perhaps in memory of the Prehistoric Woman, when this occurs, the politest ladies may always look straight before them without smiling.
“Is dinner ready, Sea Anemone?” asked the Man.
“On the bone,” replied his wife, pleasantly.
“What’s for ’sert?” asked Vertebrata.
“It’s a surprise,” said her mother—which is always the proper answer to that question.
And while they sat there, the Days and Weeks
