curiously inside the open leaves.

An object of Marion's in taking the book had been to relieve her aunt
of any feeling that she must entertain her; if she had been older and
wiser she would have seen her mistake.

She was trying to puzzle out a line of the chorus, when a voice said
close to her ear,--

"Be that a Bible you are readin'?"

Marion gave a little start, certainly there was nothing very
Scriptural in the play.

"No-o-o," she stammered; "it's a Greek play, a--a tragedy."

"A tragedy! you don't read none of them wicked things!" severely.

"Why, yes, auntie, when they come in the course of my study. It's in
Greek!"

"Greek! and you're a gal! Your father allers was cracked about it, but
this beats all!"

Marion failed to see it in just that light, but she said pleasantly,
"I'll put it away if it troubles you."

A long arm pointed up-stairs, and Marion followed its direction.

When she came down, it seemed to Aunt Betty, in spite of her
displeasure, that the rays of sunlight that were glimmering so faintly
at the head of the stairs came down with her and lighted up the dingy
old kitchen.

"Now give me something to do," said Marion dancing up to her with one
of the prettiest steps she had learned at the academy. "It's
Thanksgiving, you know, to-morrow, and we have such lots and lots to
do at home; there's pies and puddings and cakes and a big turkey to
prepare, and a chicken pie, and nuts to crack, and apples to rub until
you can see your face in them."

Aunt Betty's mouth and eyes opened as wide as they could for the
wrinkles that held them while Marion told of the festival dinner, then
she looked down at Marion's feet, and, not satisfied with the glimpse
she caught of a pair of little boots, she lifted Marion's dress, then
asked,--

"Be you lame?"

At first Marion was puzzled, then she remembered how she had danced
into the room, so, with a merry peal of laughter, instead of
answering, off she went into a series of _pirouettes_ that might have
astonished more accustomed eyes than those of her old Aunt Betty.

When she had danced herself out of breath she said, "Does that look
like being lame? Better set me at work and let me use my feet to some
more useful purpose!"

So still and stiff Aunt Betty stood that Marion could hardly restrain
herself from catching hold of her and whirling her around in a
waltz.

But fortunately she did not, for the first words her aunt said
were,--

"Do you