Before Redding could answer, Mrs. Wiggs broke in:

"You'd be gittin' a artist, Mr. Bob! Them fingers of hers kin do
anything. Last fall she built that there little greenhouse out of
ole planks, an' kep' it full of flowers all winter; put a lamp in
durin' the cold spell. You orter see the things she's painted. And
talk about mud pictures! She could jes' take some of that there mud
under that hoss's feet, an' make it look so much like you, you
wouldn't know which was which."

Billy's appearance at this moment saved Redding from immediate
disgrace.

"You come to the office with Billy in the morning," he called to
Asia, as they started off; "we'll see what can be done."

Asia went back to her digging with a will; the prospect of work, of
learning how to do things right, and, above all, of learning how to
paint, filled her with happiness.

"If I was you I'd make that bed in the shape of a star," said her
mother, breaking in on her rejections. "Why don't you make it a
mason star? Yer pa was a fine mason; it would be a sort of
compliment to him."

"What is a mason star like?" asked Asia.

"Well, now I ain't right sure whether it 'a got five points or six.
Either way will do. Lands alive, I do believe there comes Miss
Lucy!"