for it, he never knew he made it. When he was leaving he said, "I hope
we shall see you at church next Sunday, Miss Lloyd."

"Indeed, you will," said the Old Lady emphatically.

III. The July Chapter

The first day of July Sylvia found a little birch bark boat full of
strawberries at the beech in the hollow. They were the earliest of the
season; the Old Lady had found them in one of her secret haunts. They
would have been a toothsome addition to the Old Lady's own slender bill
of fare; but she never thought of eating them. She got far more pleasure
out of the thought of Sylvia's enjoying them for her tea. Thereafter
the strawberries alternated with the flowers as long as they lasted, and
then came blueberries and raspberries. The blueberries grew far away and
the Old Lady had many a tramp after them. Sometimes her bones ached at
night because of it; but what cared the Old Lady for that? Bone ache
is easier to endure than soul ache; and the Old Lady's soul had stopped
aching for the first time in many year. It was being nourished with
heavenly manna.

One evening Crooked Jack came up to fix something that had gone wrong
with the Old Lady's well. The Old Lady wandered affably out to him; for
she knew he had been working at the Spencers' all day, and there might
be crumbs of information about Sylvia to be picked up.

"I reckon the music teacher's feeling pretty blue this evening," Crooked
Jack remarked, after straining the Old Lady's patience to the last verge
of human endurance by expatiating on William Spencer's new pump, and
Mrs. Spencer's new washing-machine, and Amelia Spencer's new young man.

"Why?" asked the Old Lady, turning very pale. Had anything happened to
Sylvia?

"Well, she's been invited to a big party at Mrs. Moore's brother's in
town, and she hasn't got a dress to go in," said Crooked Jack. "They're
great swells and everybody will be got up regardless. Mrs. Spencer was
telling me about it. She says Miss Gray can't afford a new dress because
she's helping to pay her aunt's doctor's bills. She says she's sure Miss
Gray feels awful disappointed over it, though she doesn't let on. But
Mrs. Spencer says she knows she was crying after she went to bed last
night."

The Old Lady turned and went into the house abruptly. This was dreadful.
Sylvia must go to that party--she MUST. But how was it to be managed?
Through the Old Lady's brain passed wild thoughts of her mother's silk
dresses. But none of