"You are to make twenty copies of this little slip. You must
make as many as you can upon one sheet of paper, about so far apart.
You know now perfectly well how to put in the paper and how to take
it out. To-morrow you can make twenty slips more, twenty the day
after, making sixty slips in all; you will be paid half a cent for
each slip, and eventually you will earn sixty cents, just what a
round trip ticket costs. Do you agree?"

"Oh, Miss Dorothy, of course, if you are sure I can do it."

"Of course you can do it, at first slowly, and then, as they are to
be all alike, you will be able to do the last with your eyes shut.
Now, I'll leave you to go ahead."

"Please----"

"Please what?"

"Wait till I have done one to see if it is all right."

"Very well, that is a small favor to grant."

"And, tell me, am I really to go?"

"The powers that be, have so decreed."

"And I can pay my own way?"

"Yes, that is one of the reasons. Your very wise and astute teacher
remarked that it would teach you self-reliance and independence,
help to make you resourceful, broaden your experiences. Oh, me! what
didn't she argue?"

Marian turned adoring eyes upon her. "And Mrs. Hunt?" she said.

"Did you think she had something to do with it? Well, she did
without knowing it, for I was on my way to her house when she came
here with the news of Miss Almira's illness, and all unconsciously
she did us a good turn by suggesting that you go up to the city with
me to get a coat. Wasn't it funny that it should happen that way? I
didn't mean about poor Miss Almira; that is anything but funny, but
it is strange that Mrs. Hunt should have come around with a piece of
news that settled the whole matter. When your grandma told me you
were to go, I came near laughing outright, but when I knew the
reason I did look concerned, I hope. She said she had been thinking
over the matter of your going to the city with me. Would it be too
great a task, and would I have time to select a coat for you? No, I
said it would be no task at all, for I should be doing the same for
my little sister.

"Here I ran against a snag, for your grandmother said that perhaps I
could get yours without your being there, for my little sister could
be your proxy. 'Oh, but,' I said, 'Patty is short and chubby while
Marian is tall and slender. I am afraid I could never select the
proper garment unless she were there to try it on.' 'But the
expense,' said grandma. 'Sixty cen