what is it?" cried Hanny eagerly.

"Lace. Crocheted lace. A lady on Grand Street will give me ten cents a
yard. It is for babies' petticoats. And you can make caps and hoods and
fascinators. It plagued me a little at first, but now I can do it so
fast, much faster than knitting it. And I am to have all the work I can
do."

"Oh, if I could learn!" cried Hanny.

"I'll show you because you are so good to us. Your boy brought mother
such a package of clothes. But I am not going to teach the girls around
here. They will be wanting to do it for the stores. You can make lace
with cotton thread and oh! elegant with silk. That is worth a good
deal."

Hanny bought her needle and worsted. At first she was "bothered" as
well. But she was an ingenious little girl, and when you once had the
"knack" there were such infinite varieties to it. And oh, it was so
fascinating! She hardly had time to study her lessons, and one day she
did actually miss in her definitions. But she begged Mrs. Craven to let
her study them over and recite after school, for she knew her father
would feel badly about the imperfect mark.

When she had made two yards of beautiful pink lace she showed it to
Margaret. She meant to make two yards of blue and give them both to Katy
Rhodes for her table at the Fair. Margaret was very much pleased and
said she must learn herself. Daisy Jasper did a little, too. She was
learning very rapidly and had a wonderful genius for drawing.

Oh, dear! how busy they were. They were happy and interested, and
almost forgot to take out their dolls, or read their story-books. Martha
said: "You might do something for my fair, too," and Margaret promised.

Jim _did_ feel a little sore that Lily Ludlow did not ask him to her
party, which was quite a grand affair. She announced that she had broken
with the public-school crowd, and was going to have all new friends. But
the very next week she met Jim at another party, and he was so handsome
and manly that she really regretted her haste. Jim was very proud and
dignified, and never once danced with her nor chose her in any of the
games.

Dolly and Stephen came home to the Thanksgiving dinner. If Hanny had not
been so much engrossed she might have considered herself left out of
some things, only her father never left her out. And Ben brought home
such tempting books that she did wish she could sit up like the others
and not have to go to bed at nine.

The Epiphany fair came first, t