it is doubtful if he spoke of it elsewhere. But the loss of the money
increased (were that possible) his moroseness. He often spoke to
neither the girl nor Aunt Alvirah from sunrise to sunset.

But although Uncle Jabez was so moody and so unkind to her, in the
little old woman, whose back and whose bones gave her so much trouble,
Ruth found a loving and thoughtful friend. Aunt Alvirah was as
troubled at first about Ruth's lack of frocks as the girl was herself.
But before Ruth had been attending school a week, she suddenly became
very light-hearted upon the question of dress.

"Now, don't you fret about it, deary," said Aunt Alviry, wagging her
head knowingly. "Gals like you has jest got ter hev frocks, an' the
good Lord knows it, jest the same as He knows when a sparrer falls.
There'll be a way pervided-- there'll be a way pervided. Ef I can't
make ye a purty dress, 'cause o' my back an' my bones, there's them
that kin. We'll hev Miss 'Cretia Lock in by the day, and we'll make
'em."

"But, dear," said Ruth, wonderingly, "how will we get the goods-- and
the trimmings-- and pay Miss Lock for her work?"

"Don't you fret about that. Jest you wait and see," declared Aunt
Alvirah, mysteriously.

Ruth knew very well that the old woman had not a penny of her own.
Uncle Jabez would never have given her a cent without knowing just
what it was for, and haggling over the expenditure then, a good deal.
To his view, Aunt Alviry was an object of his charity, too, although
for more than ten years the old woman had kept his house like wax and