held out a shell, and looked at her with his great
brown eyes, it stirred up memories; but the pain was gone from them. Her
heart was no longer famished; it was filled with little Tommy.

This engrossing love was not agreeable to the Widow Lawton. If less was
accomplished in a day than usual, she would often exclaim, "That brat
takes up too much of your time." And not unfrequently Chloe was
compelled to go to the beach and leave Tommy fastened up in the kitchen;
though this was never done without some outcries on his part, and some
suppressed mutterings on hers.

On one of these occasions, Sukey Larkin came to make a call. When Mrs.
Lawton saw her at the gate, she said to her daughter, "How long do you
suppose she'll be in the house before she asks to see your silk gown?"

Catharine smiled and kept on spinning flax till her visitor entered.

"Good morning, Sukey," said Mrs. Lawton. "I didn't know you was about in
these parts."

"I come yesterday to do some business for mother," replied Sukey, "and
I'm going back in an hour. But I thought I would just run in to see you,
Catharine. Aunt says you're going to Jane Horton's wedding. Are you
going to wear your new silk?"

"So you've heard about the new silk?" said Mrs. Lawton.

"To be sure I have," rejoined Sukey. "Everybody's talking about it. Do
show it to me, Catharine; that's a dear."

The dress was brought forth from its envelope of white linen. It was a
very lustrous silk, changeable between rose-color and apple-green, and
the delicate hues glanced beautifully in the sunlight.

Sukey was in raptures, and exclaimed, "I don't wonder Mr. Gordonmammon
said Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like Catharine, when she
went to the great party at Cape Ann. I do declare, you've got lace at
the elbows and round the neck!" She heaved a deep sigh when the dress
was refolded; and after a moment's silence said, "I wish mother had a
fish-flake, and knew how to manage as well as you do, Mrs. Lawton; then
she could trade round with the sloops and get me a silk gown."

"O, I dare say you will have one some time or other," rejoined
Catharine.

"No, I shall never have one, if I live to be a hundred years old,"
replied Sukey. "I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth, like some
folks."

"I wonder what Tommy's doing in the kitchen," said Mrs. Lawton. "He's
generally about some mischief when he's so still. I declare I'd as lief
have a colt in the house as that little