twill take years and years," and
with this discouraging thought her eyes closed, and she forgot her
troubles in sleep.

CHAPTER V

A BIRTHDAY

In a few days Anna's feet were healed, and, wearing her soft moccasins,
she could run about as well as ever. But her father and mother were
quick to see that a great change had come over their little daughter.
She no longer wanted to be called "Dan"; she told her mother that she
wanted her hair to grow long, and she even asked Rebecca to teach her
how to sew more evenly and with tinier stitches.

For Anna had made a firm resolve; she would try in every possible way to
be like Melvina Lyon. She gave up so many of her out-of-door games that
Mrs. Weston looked at her a little anxiously, fearing that the child
might not be well. Every day Anna walked up the path to the church, and
lingered about hoping for a glimpse of Melvina; but a week passed and
the little girls did not meet.

At last the day came when Mr. Weston was ready to start for the forest
to select the liberty tree; but, greatly to his surprise, Anna said that
she did not wish to go, and he started off without her.

This was the first real sacrifice Anna had made toward becoming like
Melvina. She was quite sure that Melvina would not go for a tramp in the
forest. "It would spoil her clothes," reflected Anna, and looked
regretfully at her own stout gingham dress, wishing it could be changed
and become like one of Melvina's dresses of flounced linen.

"I would look more like her if I wore better dresses," she decided.

"Mother, may I not wear my Sunday dress?" she asked eagerly. "I will not
play any games, or hurt it. I will only walk as far as the church and
back."

For a moment Mrs. Weston hesitated. It seemed a foolish thing to let
Anna wear her best dress on a week day; but the little girl had been so
quiet and unhappy since the night of her adventure that her mother
decided to allow her this privilege; and Anna ran up-stairs, and in a
few minutes had put on her Sunday dress. It was a blue muslin with tiny
white dots, and the neck and sleeves were edged with tiny white
ruffles. It had been Rebecca's best dress for several summers, until she
outgrew it, and it was made over for the younger girl, but Anna was very
proud of it, and stood on tiptoe to see herself reflected in the narrow
mirror between the windows of the sitting-room. Her mothe