elestina began preparations,
appearing in the kitchen without trace of invalidism and helping
Delight hurry the housework out of the way, that the precious hours
might be spent in retrimming the hat of black straw which already had
done duty four seasons.

"Ain't it too vexatious," complained the irritated convalescent, "that
I don't wear out nothin'? This hat, now--it's as good as the day it
was bought, despite my havin' had it so long. I can't in conscience
throw it away an' get another, much as I'd like to. The trimmin' was
on the front the first summer, don't you remember? Then we tried it on
behind a year; an' there was two seasons I wore it trimmed on the side.
What are we goin' to do with it now, Delight? I've blacked it up an'
can see no way for it this time but to turn it round hindside-before.
What do you think?"

The amateur milliner shook her head.

"I've a plan," she smiled mysteriously. "Don't you worry, Aunt Tiny."

"Oh, I shan't worry, child, if you take it in hand. I know that when
you get through with it it's goin' to look as if it had come straight
out of Mis' Gates's store over at the Junction. It does beat all what
a knack you have for such things. You could make your fortune bein' a
milliner. I s'pose you wouldn't want to face it in with red, would
you? Willie likes red, an' there's a scrap of silk in the trunk under
the eaves that could be stretched into a facin' with some piecin'."

"I'm afraid you wouldn't like red, Aunt Tiny," the girl replied gently.

"Mebbe I wouldn't," was the prompt answer. "Well, do it as you think
best. You never put me into anything yet that warn't becomin', an' I
reckon I can risk leavin' it to you."

"Wouldn't you rather I helped you clear up the kitchen before I began
hat trimming?"

"Mercy, no! Don't waste precious time sweepin' up an' washin' dishes;
I can do that. Like as not 'twill take some of the stiffness out of
me. Besides, the work an' the millinery ain't the worst ahead of us.
There's Willie to get ready. To coax him out of that shop an' into his
Sunday suit is goin' to take some maneuverin'. I know, 'cause I have
it to do once in a while when there's a funeral or somethin'. It's
like pullin' teeth. There's times when I wish all his jumpers was
burned to ashes. An' as for his hair, he rumples it up on end 'till
there's no makin' it stay down smooth an' spread round like other
folks's."

"Oh, we mustn't try to dress Willie up t