g, her eyes still fixed on
Lena. 'Where are you working?'

'For Mrs. Thomas, the dressmaker. She is going to teach me to sew. She
says I have quite a knack. I'm through with the farm. There ain't any
end to the work on a farm, and always so much trouble happens. I'm going
to be a dressmaker.'

'Well, there have to be dressmakers. It's a good trade. But I wouldn't
run down the farm, if I were you,' said Mrs. Harling rather severely.
'How is your mother?'

'Oh, mother's never very well; she has too much to do. She'd get away
from the farm, too, if she could. She was willing for me to come. After
I learn to do sewing, I can make money and help her.'

'See that you don't forget to,' said Mrs. Harling sceptically, as she
took up her crocheting again and sent the hook in and out with nimble
fingers.

'No, 'm, I won't,' said Lena blandly. She took a few grains of the
popcorn we pressed upon her, eating them discreetly and taking care not
to get her fingers sticky.

Frances drew her chair up nearer to the visitor. 'I thought you were
going to be married, Lena,' she said teasingly. 'Didn't I hear that Nick
Svendsen was rushing you pretty hard?'

Lena looked up with her curiously innocent smile. 'He did go with me
quite a while. But his father made a fuss about it and said he wouldn't
give Nick any land if he married me, so he's going to marry Annie
Iverson. I wouldn't like to be her; Nick's awful sullen, and he'll take
it out on her. He ain't spoke to his father since he promised.'

Frances laughed. 'And how do you feel about it?'

'I don't want to marry Nick, or any other man,' Lena murmured. 'I've
seen a good deal of married life, and I don't care for it. I want to be
so I can help my mother and the children at home, and not have to ask
lief of anybody.'

'That's right,' said Frances. 'And Mrs. Thomas thinks you can learn
dressmaking?'

'Yes, 'm. I've always liked to sew, but I never had much to do with.
Mrs. Thomas makes lovely things for all the town ladies. Did you know
Mrs. Gardener is having a purple velvet made? The velvet came from
Omaha. My, but it's lovely!' Lena sighed softly and stroked her cashmere
folds. 'Tony knows I never did like out-of-door work,' she added.

Mrs. Harling glanced at her. 'I expect you'll learn to sew all right,
Lena, if you'll only keep your head and not go gadding about to dances
all the time and neglect your work, the way some country girls do.'

'Yes, 'm. Tiny Soderball i