showed a quick perception and asked questions that
interested the girls. Some, indeed, they could not answer. Estelle's
mind approached their work from a new angle and saw in it mysteries and
points calling for solution that had never challenged them. Neither had
her problems much struck Raymond, but he saw their force when she raised
them and pronounced them most important.

"Why, that's fundamental, really," he said, "and yet, be shot, if I
ever thought of it! Only Best will know and I shouldn't be surprised if
he doesn't."

They stood at the First Drawing Frame when Daniel appeared. They had
followed the flat ribbon of sliver from the Carding Machine. At the
Drawing Frame six ribbons from the Carder were all brought together into
one ribbon and so gained in quality, while losing more impurities during
a second severe process of combing out.

"And even now it's not ready for spinning," explained Raymond. "Now it
goes on to the Second Drawing Frame, and four of these ribbons from the
First Drawer are brought together into one ribbon again. So you see that
no less than twenty-four ribbons from the Carder are brought together to
make stuff good enough to spin."

"What do the Drawing Frames do to it?" asked Estelle; "it looks just the
same."

"Blessed if I know," confessed Raymond. "What do they do to it, Mrs.
Chick?"

A venerable old woman, whose simple task was to wind away the flowing
sliver into cans, made answer. She was clad in a dun overall and had a
dim scarlet cap of worsted drawn over her white hair. The remains of
beauty homed in her brown and wrinkled face; her grey eyes were gentle,
and her expression wistful and kindly.

"The Drawing Heads level the 'sliver,' and true it, and make it good,"
she said. "All the rubbish is dragged out on the teeth and now, though
it seems thinner and weaker, it isn't really. Now it goes to the Roving
Frame and that makes it still better and ready for the spinners."

Then came Daniel, and Raymond, leaving Estelle with Mrs. Chick, departed
at his brother's wish. The younger anticipated trouble and began to
excuse himself.

"Waldron's so jolly friendly that I thought you wouldn't mind if I
showed his little girl round the works. She's tremendously clever and
intelligent."

"Of course I don't mind. That's nothing, but I want to speak to you on
the general question. I do wish, Raymond, you'd be more dignified."

"Dignified! Me? Good Lord!"

"Well, if you don't like