w weeks so as not to spoil things for ma too soon if he acts up."

Peter was not the only one who had secret cares. Sara Ray was beginning
to feel worried over her looks. I heard her and Cecily talking over
their troubles one evening while I was weeding the onion bed and they
were behind the hedge knitting lace. I did not mean to eavesdrop.
I supposed they knew I was there until Cecily overwhelmed me with
indignation later on.

"I'm so afraid, Cecily, that I'm going to be homely all my life," said
poor Sara with a tremble in her voice. "You can stand being ugly when
you are young if you have any hope of being better looking when you grow
up. But I'm getting worse. Aunt Mary says I'm going to be the very
image of Aunt Matilda. And Aunt Matilda is as homely as she can be. It
isn't"--and poor Sara sighed--"a very cheerful prospect. If I am ugly
nobody will ever want to marry me, and," concluded Sara candidly, "I
don't want to be an old maid."

"But plenty of girls get married who aren't a bit pretty," comforted
Cecily. "Besides, you are real nice looking at times, Sara. I think you
are going to have a nice figure."

"But just look at my hands," moaned Sara. "They're simply covered with
warts."

"Oh, the warts will all disappear before you grow up," said Cecily.

"But they won't disappear before the school concert. How am I to get
up there and recite? You know there is one line in my recitation, 'She
waved her lily-white hand,' and I have to wave mine when I say it. Fancy
waving a lily-white hand all covered with warts. I've tried every remedy
I ever heard of, but nothing does any good. Judy Pineau said if I rubbed
them with toad-spit it would take them away for sure. But how am I to
get any toad-spit?"

"It doesn't sound like a very nice remedy, anyhow," shuddered Cecily.
"I'd rather have the warts. But do you know, I believe if you didn't cry
so much over every little thing, you'd be ever so much better looking.
Crying spoils your eyes and makes the end of your nose red."

"I can't help crying," protested Sara. "My feelings are so very
sensitive. I've given up trying to keep THAT resolution."

"Well, men don't like cry-babies," said Cecily sagely. Cecily had a good
deal of Mother Eve's wisdom tucked away in that smooth, brown head of
hers.

"Cecily, do you ever intend to be married?" asked Sara in a confidential
tone.

"Goodness!" cried Cecily, quite shocked. "It will be time enough when I
grow up to think o