o-o-o-oss!'"

But without waiting for an answer the young farm girl caught her old
playmate in her strong arms and gave her a vigorous hug.

"There, Miss Dorothy Calvert, that don't begin to show how tickled I
am 'bout your good fortune! I'm so full of it all 't I couldn't hardly
sleep. Fact. You needn't stare, though 'tis a queer thing, 'cause if
there's one thing more to my liking than another it's going to bed on
such a bed as Mis' Calvert has in every single one of her rooms. There
ain't no husk-mattresses nor straw shake-downs to Deerhurst. No,
siree! I know, for I went into every single chamber from roof to
cellar and pinched 'em all. The 'help' sleep just as soft as the old
lady does herself. Softer, Ma says, 'cause old-timers like her if they
didn't use feathers just laid on hard things 't even Ma'd despise to
have in her house. However, everybody to their taste! and say, Dolly,
which of all them pretty dresses are you goin' to put on? What? That
plain old white linen? Well, if you don't beat the Dutch and always
did! If I had all them silks and satins I'd pick out the handsomest
and wear that first, and next handsome next, and keep right on, one
after another, till I'd tried the lot, if I had to change a dozen
times a day. See! I found them cardinal flowers down by the brook and
fetched 'em to you."

With one of her sudden changes of mood Alfaretta dropped down upon
the floor and pulled from the pocket of her old-fashioned skirt a
cheap paper pad. It was well scribbled with penciled notes which the
girl critically examined, as she explained:

"You see, Dorothy, that your story is like reading a library book,
only more so; and lest I should forget some part of it I've wrote it
all down. Listen. I'll read while you finish fixin'. My! What a
finicky girl you are! You was born----"

"But, Alfy, please! I protest against hearing my own history that
way!" cried the other, making a playful dash toward the notes, which
Alfaretta as promptly hid behind her. Then, knowing from experience
that contest was useless, Dorothy resigned herself to hearing the
following data droned forth:

"You was born----"

"Of course!"

"'Twon't do you a mite of good to interrupt. I'm in real down earnest.
You'll--you'll be goin' away again, pretty soon, and having come into
your fortunes you'll be forgettin'----" Here Alfy sobbed and dabbed
her knuckles into her eyes--"'Cause Ma says 'tain't likely you'll ever
be the same girl aga