particularly
poignant, Mollie would cry ardently: "Let's be Berengaria and Lucille!"
and, presto! the two girls were transplanted to another world--a world
with the magic letter W added to its address, where empty purses and
dyed dresses existed not, and all was joy, jewellery, and junketing.

Lucille had lately become the bride of a millionaire and adoring duke;
the peerless Berengaria wrought havoc with the peace of Lord Arthur, and
had more suitors than she could count on the fingers of both hands. It
was a fascinating make-believe; but, as Ruth plaintively remarked, it
did come with somewhat of a shock to be dragged back to earth by--socks!

She stood leaning against the mantelpiece, looking on with frowning
brows while her sister collected together scattered materials, and
carried them and the yawning basket back to the cosy corner in Fireland,
where, for the hour, she was an invited guest.

"Quick's the word and sharp's the action!" cried Mollie cheerily. "Now
for a grand old cobble; and if there are any heels out to-day, my fine
young gentlemen, don't blame _me_ if you have to tread on knots for the
rest of the week! It's the strangest thing on earth that I can remember
nice things year after year without an effort, and yet forget this
horrid mending every Saturday as regularly as the day comes round."

"Carelessness!" replied Ruth shortly, and with the candour of near
relations. "I couldn't forget if I tried. First thing when I wake in
the morning I think of all the bothersome duties I have to do in the
day, and the last thing at night I am thinking of them still. But you
are so frivolous, Mollie!"

"And you are so morbid, my dear! You don't offer to help me, I observe;
and since you are so conscientious as all that, I should think you might
lend me a hand in my extremity. There! I'll give you Ransome's for a
treat; he breaks out at the toes, but his heels are intact. It's
playwork mending for him compared with the other boys."

She tossed a collection of brown woollen stockings into her sister's
lap, and Ruth took them up, frowning heavily with her black brows, but
never dreaming of refusing the request, though her own share of the
household mending had kept her employed during the earlier part of the
afternoon, while Mollie was amusing herself elsewhere. She took a
darning-egg out of her basket, threaded a needle daintily, and set to
work in the painstaking manner which characterised all her ef