said Clematis, drying her eyes.

"Oh, I see. You didn't do things quite right, did you? Well, I
wouldn't fret about that. I don't do things quite right, myself."

Clematis smiled through her tears.

"Come on now, and help me pick some late peas for dinner. You will
like that, I am sure."

He took her hand, and soon she was happy again.

"There, you picked two quarts, and did it well, too. Now take these
up to Mrs. Alder, and tell her you can shell them out, every one,
without hurting a thing."

"Oh," said Mrs. Alder, in the kitchen. "You think you can shell
peas, do you? Well, take them out under the maple tree. Then I won't
have the pods all around the kitchen."

And Clematis proved that she could shell peas, after all.

Mrs. Alder gave her a cookie for her pay, and said she had done very
well.

"I guess you'll get along all right, if you stay out doors," she
said.

"Thanks," said Clematis, eating the cookie as she went out. She was
glad enough to stay out doors.

[Illustration: Clematis watched the little fishes by the shore]

"I'll help Mr. Alder all the time," she said to herself. "I'll feed
the pigs, and the hens, and I guess he'll be glad I'm here."

CHAPTER XVI

ONLY A FEW DAYS MORE

Clematis did help Mr. Alder, and tried hard, in her way, to make
herself useful.

She helped Mrs. Alder too, for she went on errands to the village
every time she was asked.

Every day she went to the Post Office. She took home the letters and
carried home bundles from the stores.

Clematis loved this walk, because the road ran down by Knapp's saw
mill, and by the river.

Near the stocking mill, the river came right up to the road, and she
could even see the little fish, in the clear water.

Sometimes she stopped longer than she thought, and was late getting
back, but Mrs. Alder did not scold her.

"The less we expect of her, the less we shall be disappointed," she
would say.

On Sunday, they all went down to church to hear Mr. Sampson preach.

He smiled at her in his kindly way, when she went out.

"Let me see, I don't know your name, do I?" he asked, taking her
hand.

"It's Clematis."

"Well, Clematis, I'm glad to see you. I hope you will come again."

"That little girl looks just like another little girl I used to
know," he said to Mr. Alder.

"She is here for a week or two. Doctor Wyatt sent her up." Mr. Alder
whispered to him a minute, before they went away.

"How would you like