dresses, of some sheeny stuff,--_alapaca_,
Ma called it,--black, purple and brown, that took every inch of dander
out of Polly. She wiped her hands extra clean, and came and twisted them
this way and that, and crinkled them and smoothed them, and puckered the
ends into folds, and laying them across the ironing-table, backed
toward the wall with her head cocked sideways, and her eyes squinted
together like Mr. Green's, the portrait-painter, when he looks at
pictures.

"Shure, the Quane 'u'd be proud to wear thim!" she said; and said she
should have the purple for a wedding-gown.

Then, besides, there was a red and black plaid shawl, and a whole piece
of white muslin, such as you buy by the yard mostly, and a work-box,
with cases of scissors and needles, and spools of thread and
sewing-silk. And last was a bandbox tied with string, and that, Ma said,
Polly must open.

[Illustration: "I LOOKED IN ONE OF POLLY'S BRIGHT MILK-PANS."]

So Polly pulled a pin from her belt and puttered at the knot till I
'most had a fit. For Ma wont ever have a string cut; she says it is a
sinful waste. I thought it never would untie. Polly's fingers were all
thumbs, and twice she dropped the pin. But it did--all knots do if you
pick at them long enough--and in the box was a splendiferous bonnet,
with green ribbon bows and three pink roses.

"Well, I declare!" said Ma. "What more can you want, Polly?"

Polly put the bandbox on the floor, and the bonnet on her head, and
started for the sitting-room looking-glass.

"Sakes alive! Here's another!" Ma said, and held up by one of its bows
the sweetest little hat you ever laid eyes on! It was light straw,
trimmed with black velvet and blue silk, and had white daisies fastened
to the velvet. Pinned to one of the streamers was a slip of paper, and
on it was written, "For Kitty."

I just squealed! It was all I could do! To think of that beautiful
little hat being for _me_, Kitty Hazel! Why, I never counted on having
anything half so fine, unless I got to be the Grand Mogul, or something
of that sort!

"The lady is very kind, I'm sure," said Ma, seeming as pleased as could
be. "Try it on, child. You can squeal afterward." And she set it on my
head.

I ran and looked in one of Polly's bright milk-pans that were sunning
outside the door, and I hardly knew myself!

"Aint you smart!" said I, nodding to the girl in the pan. She smiled and
nodded back, and looked so jolly that I came near turning