"She would look pretty in a rag, and we both know it. Dainty by name,
and dainty by nature," Ela returned, gloomily, yielding reluctant homage
to a fair young cousin of whose charms both were profoundly jealous.

Olive and Ela, who were school-teachers in the southern city, Richmond,
Virginia, boarded with a widowed aunt who took this means of supporting
herself and her only child Dainty, who had but just graduated at a
public school, and hoped to become a teacher herself next year. They
were poor, but Dainty, with her fair face and gay good-nature, was like
an embodied ray of sunshine.

It had been very kind in the rich Mrs. Ellsworth to invite her three
nieces to her grand West Virginia home, and to offer to pay the expenses
of their journey. But for her generosity Dainty could not have gone; but
now, at her mother's wish, she wrote, gratefully accepting the
invitation.

"How thankful I am!" cried the mother, joyfully. "It's just what Dainty
needs, this trip to the mountains! She looks so pale and wan since she
graduated."

"So you really mean to let her go?" Ela exclaimed, with pretended
surprise, while Olive added, spitefully:

"We thought Aunt Judith might be ashamed of her shabby clothes. She
hasn't anything to wear, has she, but her last summer's gowns and the
cheap white muslin she had for her graduation?"

"Mrs. Ellsworth knows we are poor, and that Dainty must dress plainly. I
dare say she is too kind-hearted to be ashamed of her dead
half-brother's only child," Mrs. Chase returned, spiritedly; while the
thought would intrude, that if only Olive and Ela would pay their
neglected board bills she might afford Dainty a new summer gown and
dress.

She summoned up courage to hint this fact to them next day, but they met
the timid appeal with angry reproaches.

"Don't think we are going to cheat you of our board bill because we can
not spare the money till school begins next fall!" cried Olive, sharply;
while Ela chimed in scornfully:

"To think of our own aunt dunning two orphan girls for board!"

The poor lady's face fell, thinking of the rent and the grocer's bill,
both due, and not enough money in her purse to meet them; but she sighed
patiently, and answered:

"I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, dears, but you know how poor I am,
and that I must take boarders for a living! I'm sure I would be glad to
board you for nothing if I could afford it, though, after all, I'm not
really any kin to you, yo