Pauline was quick-tempered and Dolly was not, so the latter made no
response to the somewhat rude speech, and the girls sewed a few moments
in silence.

Then as Dotty began to sew her cap to its band, she echoed Dolly's
words: "Why, Polly, these bands aren't big enough, that's so!" and Dotty
tried to put the cap on her own head.

"How silly you are!" exclaimed Pauline, angrily. "Do you suppose your
head with all that hair isn't bigger than the boys' heads without any
hair to speak of? I tell you I measured these bands and they're plenty
big enough. If you girls want to be so disagreeable about it, you can
make the caps yourselves."

"It's no use finishing these things," declared Dotty, "for the boys
can't get their heads into them! Why they're hardly big enough for a six
year old kid!"

"I tell you they are. I guess I know. I measured one on my own brother
and his head is just as big as the Browns' heads are."

"You've got the big-head yourself!" Dotty flashed back at her, "you
think you know everything, Pauline Clifton! I'm just _sure_ the boys
can't wear these caps, but we'll go on and finish them, since you say
they're big enough."

"They _are_ big enough! there's no reason why we shouldn't finish them!"
and Pauline's cheeks grew red as she sewed hurriedly on the cap she
held.

"Well, don't let's quarrel about it," said Dolly, who had not changed
her opinion, but who wanted to make peace. "If Pauline says they're all
right, Dotty, let's go on and sew them. She must know, if she measured
Carroll's head."

"Of course I know!" and Pauline scowled at the other two girls. "If
you'd sew instead of fussing and finding fault, we could get the things
done before luncheon."

"All right," and Dolly smiled pleasantly, shaking her head at Dotty, who
was just about to make an angry speech. "If Polly takes the
responsibility, I'm satisfied to go on, but it certainly doesn't seem to
me that any boy could get his head into that thing!" And she held up a
cap whose head band certainly did seem small.

"I'll take the responsibility all right," and Pauline shook her head
angrily. "And when you see the boys with these caps on, you'll realise
how silly you've acted."

The girls stitched on for a few minutes without speaking and then
Dolly's gentle voice broke the silence with some comment on some other
subject and peace was restored outwardly, though each of the three was
conscious of an angry undercurrent to their conver