"Now I will go take one little peek at mamma." said Alice, starting
upstairs, but stopping next step. "No. I won't neiver," she said
bravely. "I won't 'sturb mamma one bit."

After this the little girl found amusement for awhile at the library
window. Next, she went back to the picture books, and read a long
story, all made up out of her own head, to Peggy Morlinda, who woke
up to listen. But what a long morning it was! She did not enjoy it
much, but she made up her mind about one thing--she wouldn't "'sturb
mamma."

At last papa came home and Alice ran to him to be tossed up and down,
and they had a fine frolic.

"Have you gotten along nicely with your work?" asked papa of mamma at
dinner.

"Very nicely, thank you," said mamma. "Alice helped me a great deal!"

"Alice!" exclaimed papa, looking as surprised as possible. "Can Alice
sew?"

Mamma laughed. "Oh, no, indeed, not yet," she said, "but she gave me a
fine chance to do it. She amused herself all morning and did not ask
me to do anything for her, so we got on beautifully with the work in
the sewing room."

[Illustration: "Peggy Morlinda, is you all by yourself, too?"]

"Good girl," said papa, and Alice looked as happy as she felt. Oh, how