getting all her troubles for a
moment, and feeling young and joyous over the prospect of a festivity.
"I haven't another thing that would do to wear to a wedding. If I
hadn't that blessed organdie I couldn't go, that's all."

"But you have it, and it will look lovely made up with a tucked skirt.
Tucks are so fashionable now. And there's that lace of mine you can
have for a bertha. I want you to look just right, you see. Enfield is
a big place, and there will be lots of grandees at the wedding. Let's
get the last fashion sheet and pick out a design right away. Here's
one on the very first page that would be nice. You could wear it to
perfection, Caddy you're so tall and slender. It wouldn't suit a plump
and podgy person like myself at all."

Carry liked the pattern, and they had an animated discussion over it.
But, in the end, Carry sighed, and pushed the sheet away from her,
with all the brightness gone out of face.

"It's no use, Patty. I'd forgotten for a few minutes, but it's all
come back now. I can't think of weddings and new dresses, when the
thought of that interest crowds everything else out. It's due next
month--fifty dollars--and I've only ten saved up. I can't make forty
dollars in a month, even if I had any amount of sewing, and you know
hardly anyone wants sewing done just now. I don't know what we shall
do. Oh, I suppose we can rent a couple of rooms in the village and
_exist_ in them. But it breaks my heart to think of leaving our old
home."

"Perhaps Mr. Kerr will let us have more time," suggested Patty, not
very hopefully. The sparkle had gone out of her face too. Patty loved
their little home as much as Carry did.

"You know he won't. He has been only too anxious for an excuse to
foreclose, this long time. He wants the land the house is on. Oh, if I
only hadn't been sick so long in the summer--just when everybody had
sewing to do. I've tried so hard to catch up, but I couldn't." Carry's
voice broke in a sob.

Patty leaned over the table and patted her sister's glossy dark hair
gently.

"You've worked too hard, dearie. You've just gone to skin and bone.
Oh, I know how hard it is! I can't bear to think of leaving this dear
old spot either. If we could only induce Mr. Kerr to give us a year's
grace! I'd be teaching then, and we could easily pay the interest and
some of the principal too. Perhaps he will if we both go to him and
coax very hard. Anyway, don't worry over it till after the wedding. I