a box of pale blue and silver tied with narrow ribbons, which after a
careful untying and lifting of the lid disclosed a splendor of
lace-work and tinsel-paper, over layer upon layer of bon bons and
candied fruit, with a cute little silver tongs.

"Delicious! And what a beautiful box!"

"It's certainly very fine!"

"But for old Mrs. Kump!" cried Laura. "The money or something
substantial would do so much better!"

"There's plenty of substantials in Alene's hamper," said Mrs. Lee.
"Butter, coffee, tea."

"But this fine candy and the ribbons and fixings! It's like throwing
the money away!" said Laura sharply, as she wrapped up the box and
replaced it on the hamper.

Though Ivy had doubts of the usefulness of Alene's gift, she felt a
certain satisfaction in having it to send along with the more practical
things; she wished she had a volume of her own poetry, bound in blue
with the name just as she had often pictured it in silver letters,
"Early Blossoms," to send; it would go so well with Alene's box.
Laura's condemnation, however, made this seem a foolish desire, which
she would not dare to mention.

They returned to the work of getting everything ready for the boys to
carry to Mrs. Kump. Ivy completed her label and pasted it on the jar,
where the fancy initials looked effective. Laura and her mother
proceeded with the packing. The former still wore a disapproving
countenance and her vexation hung round them like a cloud.

"This reminds me of something that happened to me once upon a time,"
said Mrs. Lee, who had occasion to move the hamper. Ivy smiled
encouragingly.

"Ob, a story, a story! Come and sit here, Lol, and listen!"

"Once upon a time," Mrs. Lee began, "I and my cousin Clementina, just
about my own age, ten years, were the best of chums, even thicker than
you Happy-Go-Lucky girls, for we had just ourselves to play with, all
the other members of both families being much older; the next in age
was my sister Roxana, going on sixteen. Clemmie and I used to watch
the store windows and I remember one day we stood transfixed at a new
display in Smithley's drug store. In addition to drugs, they sold many
other things, so there we stood, Clemmie admiring a pair of pink
garters with silver buckles, while I looked longingly at a volume of
_Jane Eyre_.

"'Only thirty cents! If I only had a pair!' sighed Clementina.

"'A dollar and a half,' I lamented, for in those days there were no
cheap edition