Suddenly Rebecca Mary began to speak, and Aunt Olivia's widened
eyes discovered a great, white rooster pecking about under the quilt.
His big, snowy bulk stood out distinct in the shadow of it.

"I'm glad we're 'most through. Aren't you, Thomas Jefferson? It's
been a pretty LONG quilt. You get sort of tired when you quilt a LONG
quilt. It makes your back creak when you unbend it; and when you
quilt in a barn, of course you can't see without squinching, and it
hurts your eyes to squinch."

Silence again, except for the industrious peck-peck of the great
white rooster. Aunt Olivia stood very still.

"You've been a great help, Thomas Jefferson," began again the voice
of Rebecca Mary, after a little. "I'm very much obliged to you, as
I've said before. I don't know what I should have done without you.
No, you needn't answer. I couldn't hear a word you said. You can't
hear with cotton in both o' your ears," Rebecca Mary sighed. There was no cotton in Aunt Olivia's ears to shut out the soft little sound.
"But of course you have to wear it in, on account o' your conscience.
It's conscience cotton, Thomas Jefferson. I've explained before, but
I don't know's you understood. It seems a little unpolite to wear
it in my ears, with you here keeping me comp'ny. I s'pose you think
it's un--unsociable. But Aunt Olivia doesn't allow me to 'sociate
with the Tony Trumbullses. Oh, Thomas Jefferson, I wish she'd allow
me to 'sociate!"

Aunt Olivia found herself wishing she had conscience cotton in
both o' her ears.