ed.

Laura, strange to say, for the first time found fault.

"Oh, Ivy, _do_ put a little animation into it! One would think you
were delivering a funeral oration," she cried testily.

Ivy's nerves, overwrought by the preceding irritations, gave way:

"Well, no wonder, for I hate it!"

"Hate that? Why, it's the finest thing in the whole piece; even the
mother says 'a noble gift,' while she chides Alene for wanting mere
beauty!"

Ivy's thin cheeks were like crimson roses. "I'd rather be a dancing
beauty than a broken-winged robin!" she declared defiantly.

"And I'd rather be a poet than go mincing through the world with just a
pretty face!" exclaimed Alene.

"Oh, Alene, would you really like my part?" cried the astonished Ivy.
"Why didn't you say so?"

"Why, because I thought anyone would prefer it to that detestable
beauty part! Why didn't you speak out?"

Now it would have taken quite a long explanation, each having, as we
know, several reasons for not having spoken, so they only looked at
each other and laughed.

Laura glanced from one speaker to the other, her look of surprise
changing to compunction.

"Oh, girls, why didn't I ask you which verse you preferred instead of
portioning it off as I thought you would like?" she queried ruefully.
While they sought to reassure her, Mrs. Lee entered the room, and
learning the cause of the excitement, said:

"That's just like Laura! The other morning I heard a great uproar. In
I came to find Laura helping to dress Lois, insisting upon putting a
certain shoe on her foot, while she cried against it. I investigated
and found--"

"That I was bent on cramming her fat little footsie into a shoe two
sizes too small for her--I had picked up Elmer's shoe in mistake!"

Although Ivy and Alene were somewhat embarrassed when they rehearsed
the dialogue after exchanging roles and did not render the new parts
with the power of which they were capable, the improvement was marked
and brought forth much applause, which however was not to be compared
with the hand clappings received the night of the performance--but that
is another story.

Mrs. Bonner's double parlors were used, the front for the audience,
which filled the room. All of the boarders attended, and the neighbors
came, bringing their own chairs. The back parlor, ordinarily used as a
dining-room, was the stage, the sliding doors making a good substitute
for a curtain.

Mat had a funny speech by way of i