so
interesting," said Maud, whipping out her scissors and eagerly beginning
to reduce a shabby little bonnet to its original elements. "Now the
dresses," continued Polly, who had rapidly sorted out the piles.

"Will you have the goodness to look at this?" said Fan, holding up a
gray street suit faded past cure.

Polly whisked it wrong side out, and showing the clean, bright fabric,
said, with a triumphant wave, "Behold your new suit; fresh trimming and
less of it will finish you off as smart as ever."

"I never wore a turned dress in my life; do you suppose people will know
it?" said Fan doubtfully.

"What if they do? It won't hurt you. Not one in a hundred will ever
think anything about your dress, except that it is pretty. I 've worn
turned and dyed gowns all my days, and it don't seem to have alienated
my friends, or injured my constitution."

"That it has n't; I 'm a goose, Polly, and I 'll get over the feeling
that it 's sort of disgraceful to be poor and have to economize. We 'll
turn the gray, and I 'll wear it bravely."

"Then it will be more becoming than ever. Oh, here 's the pretty violet
silk. That will make a lovely suit," cried Polly, going on with the
review.

"Don't see how two draggled skirts and a stained waist can be
transformed into a whole rig," said Fan, sitting on the bed, with her
garments strewn about her in various attitudes of limp despondency.

"Well, ma'am, my plan is this," began Polly, imitating Mrs. O'Grady's
important tone, and bad grammar: "Gores is out, and plaits is in;
therefore, as the top of this skirt is quite fresh, we will take off the
ruffles, turn it upside down, and leave it plain. The upper skirt
will be made scanter, and finished with a frill; then the waist can be
refreshed with the best parts of these wide flounces, and out of those
new bits we will concoct a hat. The black lace Maud has just taken
off the green one will do to edge the violet, and with your nice silk
mantilla you are complete, don't you see?"

"I don't quite see it yet, but I have firm faith that I shall in time,
and consider my calling costume finished," said Fanny, getting more and
more interested as she saw her condemned wardrobe coming out fresh again
under Polly's magic knack.

"There are two; then that piqu, is all right, if you cut the tail off
the jacket and change the trimming a bit. The muslins only need mending
and doing up to look as well as ever; you ought not to put them away
t