ud in her dress!

CHAPTER XIX

Mother Marshall got strenuously to her feet from the low hassock on
which she had been sitting to sew the carpet, and trotted to the head of
the stairs.

"Father!" she called, happily. "Oh, Father! It's all done! I just set
the last stitch. You can bring your hammer and tacks. Better bring your
rubbers, too. You'll need them when you come to stretch it."

Father hurried up so quickly it was clear he had the hammer and rubbers
all ready.

"You'll need a saucer to put the tacks in!" and Mother Marshall hustled
away to get it. When she came back the carpet was spread out smoothly
and Father stood surveying the effect.

"Say, now, it looks real pretty, don't it?" he said, looking up at the
walls and down to the floor.

"It certainly does!" declared Mother Marshall. "And I'm real glad the
man made us take this plain pink paper. It didn't look much to me when
he first brought it out, I must confess. I had set my heart on stripes
with pink roses in it. But when he said 'felt,' why that settled it
because that article in the magazine said felt papers were the best for
general wear and satisfaction. And then when he brought out that roll
with the cherry blossoms on it for a stripe around the top, I was just
all happy down my spine, it did look so kind of bridey and pretty, like
our cherry orchard on a spring evening when the pink is in the sky. And
that white molding between 'em is going to be real handy to hang the
pictures on. The man gave me some little brass picture-hooks. See, they
fit right over the molding. Of course, there isn't but one picture, but
she'll maybe have some of her own and like it all the better if the wall
isn't all cluttered full. You know the magazine said have 'a few good
pictures.' I mean to hang it up right now and see how it looks! There!
Doesn't that look pretty against the pink? I wasn't sure about the white
frame, it was so plain, but I like it. Those apple blossoms against that
blue piece of sky look real natural, don't they. You like it, don't you,
Father?"

"Well, I should say I did," said Father, as he scuffed a corner of the
carpet into place with his rubbered feet. "Say, this carpet is some
thick, Mother, as I guess your fingers will testify, having sewed all
those long seams. 'Member how Stevie used to sit on the carpet ahead of
your seams when he was a baby, and laugh and clap his hands when you
couldn't sew any further because he was in the