at's stay in'
at the Hathaways' to make it up fer ye. I don't think she'll ask ye a
cent fer the work.'

"'Gran'dad,' says I, 'would ye hev a Cragg accep' charity, even to the
makin' of a dress?'

"' No,' says he; 'the girl owes me somethin' an' I guess she'll be glad
to square the account.'

"Then he goes away to town an' I've be'n nervous an' flustered ever
since. I can't make it out, I can't. Do you owe him anything, Josie?"

"Yes," said Josie with a laugh, "I believe I do. You shall have the
dress, Ingua--all made up--and I'll go down with you and help pick out
the goods."

"So will I!" exclaimed Mary Louise, highly delighted.

"And we will have Miss Huckins cut and fit it," continued Josie. "I'm
not much good at that thing, Ingua, so we will have a real dressmaker
and I'll pay her and charge it up to what I owe your grandfather."

The little girl seemed puzzled.

"How'd ye happen to owe him anything, Josie?" she asked.

"Didn't he tell you?"

"Not a word."

"Then he expects it to remain a secret, and you mustn't urge me to
tell. I'm pretty good at keeping secrets, Ingua. Aren't you glad of
that?"

They trooped away to town, presently, all in high spirits, and
purchased the dress and trimmings at the store. Old Sol was so
astonished at this transaction that he assailed the three girls with a
thousand questions, to none of which did he receive a satisfactory
reply.

"He didn't put no limit on the deal," said the storekeeper. "He jus'
said: 'Whatever the gal picks out, charge it to me an' I'll pay the
bill.' Looks like Ol' Swallertail hed gone plumb crazy, don't it?"

Then they went upstairs to Miss Huckins, who was likewise thrilled with
excitement at the startling event of Ingua's having a new dress. Mary
Louise and Josie helped plan the dress, which was to be a simple and
practical affair, after all, and the dressmaker measured the child
carefully and promised her a fitting the very next day.

"I don't quite understan'," remarked Ingua, as they walked home after
this impressive ceremony, "why you don't make the dress yourself,
Josie, an' save yer money. You're a dressmaker, ye say."

"I'm a sewing-girl," replied Josie calmly, "but I've promised Mary
Louise to sew for no one but her while I'm here, and I'm too lazy to
sew much, anyway. I'm having a sort of vacation, you know."

"Josie is my friend," explained Mary Louise, "and I won't let her sew
at all, if I can help it. I want her to be just