e's so pathetically weary and
hopeless-looking."

So she was, and when Nan saw her, she felt sorry for her, too.

"Couldn't work as fast as you thought?" she said to Patty, not unkindly,
but with the hard smile that seemed to be permanently fastened to her
face.

"No, I couldn't," confessed Patty. "I only worked part of one piece. I've
brought all the rest back, in good order, and I want you to redeem them."

In her mechanical way, the woman took the untouched centrepieces, looked
at them critically, and laid them aside. Then she took up the piece Patty
had worked on.

"I'll have to deduct for this," she said; "a dollar and a half."

"What do you mean?" asked Nan, angry at what she considered gross
injustice. "Miss Fairfield does not ask payment; she is giving you all
that work."

"She has spoiled this piece for our use. She works nicely enough, but no
two people work exactly alike, so no one else could now take this and
complete the corner. So, you see the piece is valueless, and we must
charge for it. Moreover, I should have to deduct fifty cents if it had
been finished, because long stitches show on the wrong side."

"And you don't allow that?" said Nan.

"Never. We deduct for that, or for soiling the work, or for using wrong
colours."

"Well," said Patty, "return me as much of my deposit as is due me, and
we'll consider the incident closed."

Stolidly, the woman opened a drawer, counted out sixteen dollars and a
half, and gave it to Patty, who said good-day, and stalked out of the
shop.

Nan followed, and when they were seated in the motor-car, both broke into
peals of laughter.

"Oh, Patty," cried Nan, "what a financier you are! You nearly killed
yourself working yesterday, and now you've paid a dollar and a half for
the privilege!"

"Pooh!" said Patty. "Nothing of the sort. I paid a dollar and a half for
some valuable experience, and I think I got it cheap enough!"

"Yes, I suppose you did. Well, what are you going to do next? For I know
you well enough to know you're not going to give up your scheme
entirely."

"Indeed I'm not! But to-day I'm going to frivol. I worked hard enough
yesterday to deserve a rest, and I'm going to take it. Come on, let's go
somewhere nice to luncheon, and then go to a matinee; it's Wednesday."

"Very well; I think you do need recreation. I'll take you to Cherry's for
luncheon, and then we'll go to see a comic opera, or some light comedy."

"You're a great comfor