ity's room. Charity, her idle hands in
her lap, was sunk in a kind of leaden dream, through which she was only
half-conscious of Ally, who sat opposite her in a low rush-bottomed
chair, her work pinned to her knee, and her thin lips pursed up as she
bent above it.

"It was my idea running a ribbon through the gauging," she said proudly,
drawing back to contemplate the blouse she was trimming. "It's for Miss
Balch: she was awfully pleased." She paused and then added, with a queer
tremor in her piping voice: "I darsn't have told her I got the idea from
one I saw on Julia."

Charity raised her eyes listlessly. "Do you still see Julia sometimes?"

Ally reddened, as if the allusion had escaped her unintentionally. "Oh,
it was a long time ago I seen her with those gaugings...."

Silence fell again, and Ally presently continued: "Miss Balch left me a
whole lot of things to do over this time."

"Why--has she gone?" Charity inquired with an inner start of
apprehension.

"Didn't you know? She went off the morning after they had the
celebration at Hamblin. I seen her drive by early with Mr. Harney."

There was another silence, measured by the steady tick of the rain
against the window, and, at intervals, by the snipping sound of Ally's
scissors.

Ally gave a meditative laugh. "Do you know what she told me before she
went away? She told me she was going to send for me to come over to
Springfield and make some things for her wedding."

Charity again lifted her heavy lids and stared at Ally's pale pointed
face, which moved to and fro above her moving fingers.

"Is she going to get married?"

Ally let the blouse sink to her knee, and sat gazing at it. Her lips
seemed suddenly dry, and she moistened them a little with her tongue.

"Why, I presume so... from what she said.... Didn't you know?"

"Why should I know?"

Ally did not answer. She bent above the blouse, and began picking out a
basting thread with the point of the scissors.

"Why should I know?" Charity repeated harshly.

"I didn't know but what... folks here say she's engaged to Mr. Harney."

Charity stood up with a laugh, and stretched her arms lazily above her
head.

"If all the people got married that folks say are going to you'd have
your time full making wedding-dresses," she said ironically.

"Why--don't you believe it?" Ally ventured.

"It would not make it true if I did--nor prevent it if I didn't."

"That's so.... I only know I seen her cryin