about the only one in town 't I hadn't been to, so I thort I wouldn't
leave her aout, ye see."

"Yes, I see," stooping to bite her thread; at which Mrs. Updyke sniffed
out,--

"Wall, fer my part, I think it's a purty nice thing when a gal spends
her time in sich work; she cain't be doin' anythin' wuss" (sniff),
"that's sartain!"

Miss Prue laughed.

"Makes me think of Grannie Green. When her rot of a husband used to be
sleeping off his sprees, she'd say, 'I'm allers so thankful when he gits
real far gone, fur then I'm sure he cain't be doin' anythin' wuss.'"

"Dear me!" bridled Betty, "I hope you don't mean to compare me to thet
wretched old Jed Green!"

"No, my dear; but I used to wonder, then, if he couldn't have been doing
something better,--but there! It wasn't to discuss poor old Jed Green
that I came here; but, first, to work on this wonderful quilt, and,
second, to ask you girls why you don't get Sara to form you into a
society of King's Daughters here?"

"'King's daughters?' We look like king's daughters, don't we?" tittered
Dolly Lee.

"Very much," said Miss Prue, with that air of hers which made her so
great a favorite, an air of _bonhomie_, almost impossible to