king or a queen, and fit to wear a crown.

"O, Lina," sighed she, in ecstasy, "where _do_ you get your silver
and gold?"

"Tease for it," replied the little Jewess.

Dotty knew, to her own sorrow, that Lina was capable of teasing. It was
hard to keep so much as an apple or a peppermint away from her if she
happened to set her heart on it.

"I'll give you twenty dolls," said Lina, "if you'll let me have your
ring; and it isn't a very pretty ring, either; looks like brass."

Dotty locked her fingers together.

"You can't tease away my owny dony pearl, Lina, if it _is_ brass; so you
needn't try."

"Mandoline!" called out Mrs. Rosenberg's sharp voice from down stairs,
"are you at work?"

"O, dear!" said Lina, sauntering along to an old chest, and taking her
knitting from the top of it; "that's always the way. I thought if you
came, mother'd let me play."

Dotty understood from this remark why Lina had asked her to go home with
her. It was not because she wished to hear any of Dotty's brilliant
stories, for she had not asked a single question about Out West; it was
because she hoped for a reprieve from the dreaded knitting.