it, and trembling as though she were
about to commit a burglary, she stealthily opened the lowest drawer of
the dresser and took from it a large parcel. She sat down on the low
rocker and carefully untied the string. Her breath was coming fast,
her eyes were shining. The stiff paper opened, and revealed a roll of
bright blue silk, just the tint of the May skies. Miss Arabella
touched it lovingly.

"You're the very color," she whispered; "you've never faded a bit, and
it's been such a long time--oh, an awful long time!" She sighed deeply;
her little face looked wan and old.

"But you haven't started to ravel yet." Her fingers had been running
carefully up and down the silk, and she stopped with a start of dismay.
She hurried to the low window. Yes, there along several of the folds,
the blue fabric was showing signs of wear! Miss Arabella sank back
into her chair and sat motionless, gazing at the bright heap in her
lap. Slowly two big tears gathered, and slipped down her cheeks. She
hastily covered the precious silk from possible damage, wiped her eyes
with her apron, and replaced the bundle in the drawer.

"It must be a sign," she whispered tremulously. "It 'ud never 'a'
begun to wear if it was goin' to be any use to me. It's a sign!" She
locked the drawer, and went out slowly. Her little figure had a more
pronounced droop, her eyes were very piteous.

She went back to her tasks in the tiny kitchen with a dull, hopeless
air. She had just set a pail of soapy water on the back doorstep,
preparatory to scrubbing the porch floor, for Susan insisted that this
must be done once a week, no matter how clean it might be, when Polly's
voice reached her. It was raised in uttering that shocking phrase
which her mistress had forbidden, and which Polly refused to unlearn.
Miss Arabella hurried out to the front veranda, fearful lest the
minister or the new doctor might be within earshot.

"Good-morning, Arabella!" called a sweet voice from the other side of
the cedar hedge.

Miss Arabella ran joyfully to the gate. "Oh, Elsie, is it you? Come
away in and sit a minute; do, now."

"No, thank you, Arabella; not this morning. Mother sent me up to see
what sort of baby Jake and Hannah have adopted. Come with me."

"I'd like to." Miss Arabella glanced wistfully across the orchard, but
the vision of her sister-in-law hoeing in the garden quenched the light
of hope in her eyes. "I can't go for a little bit," she ad