said Marcia surprised. "I'm sure I do not see why she
should care!" There was the coolness born of utter indifference in her
reply which filled the younger girl with admiration. Perhaps too there was
the least mite of haughtiness in her manner, born of the knowledge that
she belonged to an old and honored family, and that she had in her
possession a trunk full of clothes that could vie with any that Hannah
Heath could display. Miranda wished silently that she could convey that
cool manner and that wide-eyed indifference to the sight of her cousin
Hannah.

"H'm!" giggled Miranda. "Well, she does! If you were going to wear blue
you'd see she'd put on her green. She's got one that'll kill any blue
that's in the same room with it, no matter if it's on the other side. Its
just sick'ning to see them together. And she looks real well in it too. So
when she said she wanted to know so bad, Grandma said she'd send me over
to know if you'd accept a jar of her fresh pickle-lily, and mebbe I could
find out about your clothes. The pickle-lily's on the kitchen table. I
left it when I came through. It's good, but there ain't any love in it."
And Miranda laughed a hard mirthless laugh, and then settled down to her
subject again.

"Now, you needn't be a mite afraid to tell me about it. I won't tell it
straight, you know. I'd just like to see what you are going to wear so I
could keep her out of her tricks for once. Is your frock blue?"

Now it is true that the trunk upstairs contained a goodly amount of the
color blue, for Kate Schuyler had been her bonniest in blue, and the
particular frock which had been made with reference to this very first
significant gathering was blue. Marcia had accepted the fact as
unalterable. The garment was made for a purpose, and its mission must be
fulfilled however much she might wish to wear something else, but suddenly
as Miranda spoke there came to her mind the thought of rebellion. Why
should she be bound down to do exactly as Kate would do in her place? If
she had accepted the sacrifice of living Kate's life for her, she might at
least have the privilege of living it in the pleasantest possible way, and
surely the matter of dress was one she might be allowed to settle for
herself if she was old enough at all to be trusted away from home. Among
the pretty things that Kate had made was a sweet rose-pink silk tissue.
Madam Schuyler had frowned upon it as frivolous, and besides she did not
think it bec