lain the processes to Hanny. Polly
wanted to know if she thought of going into the milling business, and
suggested that she never would be big enough. Then they ran round to
look at the water-wheel and the little pond where the stream was dammed
so there would be no lack of water in a dry time.

They had a drawing pattern in school just like it, except that it lacked
the broken rustic bridge a little higher up. She would take a new
interest in drawing it now.

It was noon when they reached home, and Hanny felt real hungry, though
Mrs. Odell declared she didn't eat more than a bird. She was glad her
girls were not such delicate little things.

They went out on the shady back stoop afterward. Janey was sewing the
over-seam in a sheet that her mother wanted turned. When she had
finished, and picked out the old sewing, she was free. Then she said
they would go down to the Bristows' and have a good game of hide and
seek. They always had such fun at the Bristows'.

Polly brought out her basket of carpet-rags,--a peach basket nearly
full.

"I just hate to sew carpet-rags!" she declared.

"Couldn't I help you?" asked Hanny.

"Why, to be sure you _could_, if you would, and knew how to sew."

"Of course I know how to sew," said Hanny, rather affronted.

"Oh, I was only in fun! I'll find you a thimble. It's in my work-box
that was given me on Christmas. It's real silver, too. Mother's going to
change it when she goes to New York, only she never remembers. My
fingers are so fat. Oh, Hanny, what a little mite of a hand! It'll never
be good for anything."

"I have made a whole shirt myself, and I have hemstitched, and done
embroidery, and I wipe dishes when I haven't too many lessons,"
interposed the little girl.

"You can't make your own frocks," in a tone of triumph.

"No. Miss Cynthia Blackfan comes and does it. Can you?"

"No, she can't," said Janey, while Polly threw her head back and
laughed, showing her strong white teeth. "And she could no more make a
shirt than she could fly. You're real smart, Hanny. I'm two years older,
and I've never made a whole one. I'm going to try though, and father's
promised me a dollar when I do it all by myself."

Polly had found the thimble. It wasn't any prettier than Hanny's, though
Polly begged her "to be real careful and not lose it."

"Now you can just sew hit or miss; and then you can put in a long strip
of black, 'cause there's more black than anything else. Oh, dear, I d