ll right," said Patty, smiling jubilantly at having received her
opportunity, at least.

Miss O'Flynn took her to a workroom, where several girls were busily
engaged in various sorts of millinery work.

"Sit here, Miss Fairfield," and Miss O'Flynn indicated a chair at one end
of a long table. "You may line this hat."

Then she gave Patty an elaborate velvet hat, trimmed with feathers, and
materials for sewing. She also gave her white silk for the lining of the
hat, and a piece stamped with gilt letters, which Patty knew must be
placed inside the crown.

It all seemed easy,--too easy, in fact, for Patty aspired to making
velvet rosettes, and placing ostrich plumes.

But she knew she was being tested, and she set to work at her task with
energy.

Though she had never lined a hat before, she knew in a general way how it
should be done, and she tried to go about it with an air of experience.
The other girls at the table cast furtive glances at her.

Though they were not rude, they showed that air of hostile criticism, so
often shown by habitues to a newcomer, though based on nothing but
prejudiced curiosity.

But as Patty began to cut the lining, she saw involuntary smiles spring
to their faces. She knew that she must be cutting it wrongly, but it
seemed to her the only way to cut it, so she went on.

The girls began to nudge each other, and to smile more openly, and, to
her own chagrin, Patty felt her cheeks growing red with embarrassment.

She was tempted to speak pleasantly to them, and ask what her mistake
was, but a strange notion of honesty forbade this.

She had said at home that she believed it would be possible for her to
earn her living without special instruction, and it seemed to her, that
if she now asked for advice it would be like getting special training,
though in a small degree.

So she went calmly on with her work; cut and fitted the hat lining, and
carefully sewed it in the hat.

Remembering that the stitch she used on her "white work" had been
criticised as too long, she now was careful to take very short stitches,
and she used her utmost endeavour to make her work neat and dainty.

Miss O'Flynn passed her chair two or three times while the work was in
progress, but she made no comment of any sort.

It was perhaps eleven o'clock when Patty completed the task. Next time
Miss O'Flynn came by her she handed her the hat with an unmistakable air
of triumph.

"I've done it," Patty thought