that transformed Nancy Ellen from the disfiguration of dirt-brown
to apple and peach bloom, wild roses and swamp mallow, a girl
quite as pretty as a girl ever grows, and much prettier than any
girl ever has any business to be. The instant Nancy Ellen held
the chambray under her chin and in an oblique glance saw the face
of the clerk, the material was hers no matter what the cost, which
does not refer to the price, by any means. Knowing that the dress
would be an innovation that would set her mother storming and fill
Kate with envy, which would probably culminate in the demand that
the goods be returned and exchanged for dirt-brown, when she
reached home Nancy Ellen climbed from the wagon and told her
father that she was going on to Adam's to have Agatha cut out her
dress so that she could begin to sew on it that night. Such
commendable industry met his hearty approval, so he told her to go
and he would see that Kate did her share of the work. Wise Nancy
Ellen came home and sat her down to sew on her gorgeous frock,
while the storm she had feared raged in all its fury; but the
goods was cut, and could not be returned. Yet, through it, a
miracle happened: Nancy Ellen so appreciated herself in pink that
the extreme care she used with that dress saved it from half the
trips of a dirt-brown one to the wash board and the ironing table;
while, marvel of marvels, it did not shrink, it did not fade, also
it wore like buckskin. The result was that before the season had
passed Kate was allowed to purchase a pale blue, which improved
her appearance quite as much in proportion as pink had Nancy
Ellen's; neither did the blue fade nor shrink nor require so much
washing, for the same reason. Three years the pink dress had been
Nancy Ellen's PIECE DE RESISTANCE; now she had a new one, much the
same, yet conspicuously different. This was a daring rose colour,
full and wide, peeping white embroidery trimming, and big pearl