andsome is as handsome does,' say I. Rebecca never'll come to grief
along of her beauty, that's certain, and there's no use in humoring her
to think about her looks. I believe she's vain as a peacock now,
without anything to be vain of."

"She's young and attracted to bright things--that's all. I remember
well enough how I felt at her age."

"You was considerable of a fool at her age, Jane."

"Yes, I was, thank the Lord! I only wish I'd known how to take a little
of my foolishness along with me, as some folks do, to brighten my
declining years."

There finally was a pink gingham, and when it was nicely finished, aunt
Jane gave Rebecca a delightful surprise. She showed her how to make a
pretty trimming of narrow white linen tape, by folding it in pointed
shapes and sewing it down very flat with neat little stitches.

"It'll be good fancy work for you, Rebecca; for your aunt Miranda won't
like to see you always reading in the long winter evenings. Now if you
think you can baste two rows of white tape round the bottom of your
pink skirt and keep it straight by the checks, I'll stitch them on for
you and trim the waist and sleeves with pointed tape-trimming, so the
dress'll be real pretty for second best."

Rebecca's joy knew no bounds. "I'll baste like a house afire!" she
exclaimed. "It's a thousand yards round that skirt, as well I know,
having hemmed it; but I could sew pretty trimming on if it was from
here to Milltown. Oh! do you think aunt Mirandy'll ever let me go to
Milltown with Mr. Cobb? He's asked me again, you know; but one Saturday
I had to pick strawberries, and another it rained, and I don't think
she really approves of my going. It's TWENTY-NINE minutes past four,
aunt Jane, and Alice Robinson has been sitting under the currant bushes
for a long time waiting for me. Can I go and play?"

"Yes, you may go, and you'd better run as far as you can out behind the
barn, so 't your noise won't distract your aunt Mirandy. I see Susan
Simpson and the twins and Emma Jane Perkins hiding behind the fence."

Rebecca leaped off the porch, snatched Alice Robinson from under the
currant bushes, and, what was much more difficult, succeeded, by means
of a complicated system of signals, in getting Emma Jane away from the
Simpson party and giving them the slip altogether. They were much too
small for certain pleasurable activities planned for that afternoon;
but they were not to be despised, for they had the most fascina