"Do you suppose it's too late to get someone else?"

"I'm afraid it is," Mrs. Adams said. "Malena says it was hard
enough to get HER! You have to pay them so much that they only
work when they feel like it."

"Mama, could you ask her to wear her cap straighter? Every time
she moves her head she gets it on one side, and her skirt's too
long behind and too short in front--and oh, I've NEVER seen such
FEET!" Alice laughed desolately. "And she MUST quit that
terrible chewing!"

"Never mind; I'll get to work with her. I'll straighten her out
all I can, dearie; don't worry." Mrs. Adams patted her
daughter's shoulder encouragingly. "Now YOU can't do another
thing, and if you don't run and begin dressing you won't be
ready. It'll only take me a minute to dress, myself, and I'll be
down long before you will. Run, darling! I'll look after
everything."

Alice nodded vaguely, went up to her room, and, after only a
moment with her mirror, brought from her closet the dress of
white organdie she had worn the night when she met Russell for
the first time. She laid it carefully upon her bed, and began to
make ready to put it on. Her mother came in, half an hour later,
to "fasten" her.

"I'M all dressed," Mrs. Adams said, briskly. "Of course it
doesn't matter. He won't know what the rest of us even look