at the other end, happened to look up just in time to see the
disconsolate air with which the girl drew her chair forward, and called
out sharply,--

"Why, what are you doing over there, Sara? I thought, of course, I could
depend upon you to thread my needles for me;" and Sara, not daring to
show her pleasure at this release, made a gentle word of excuse to Mrs.
Updyke, and crossed the room to her friend.

"Oh, thank you!" she murmured, dropping beside the older maiden, who was
chuckling slyly; "I couldn't have sewed well at all there, she frightens
me so."

"Humph! Well, she needn't, for there isn't a poorer needlewoman in
Killamet. There's the queer thing about that woman--she can't really do
one thing well, yet her satisfaction is complete." All this in an
undertone, entirely covered by the scraping of chairs, rustling of
dresses, and wagging of tongues, as the company drew up to their
positions around the masterpiece; and still thus protected, Sara
whispered on,--

"But, dear Miss Prue, tell me, isn't such a piece of work an awful waste
of time? Calico is only a few cents a yard now, and it does not take
such a great deal."

"But think, my child," interrupted Miss Prue with a solemn look, "these
remembrances!" And, as if by chance, her finger dropped upon an ugly
chocolate colored bit both remembered as having been worn by a poor
crazed creature called "Silly Jane," who belonged in the county house,
but spent a good deal of time wandering about the shore.