Matthew, hitch up Barnabas, quick now," responded Mrs. Babcock, by
way of response. "You, Alfy, go inside in the front room and get your
clothes out so we can see what's clean and what ain't."

"Ma! Then I can go! Oh, goody, goody! I am so glad. And I can start
to-morrow--yes? Oh please say yes!" coaxed Alfy.

Inside in the front room, Alfy working quickly, sorted things out and
before Ma Babcock got back with a new pair of shoes for her, she had
most of her things mended (as she was real handy with the needle), and
nearly all packed in the old suit case Pa Babcock brought home with
him from Chicago.

"Alfy!" called ma from the kitchen. "Try on these shoes and see as
they're all right."

"Yes, ma," answered Alfy, coming into the kitchen with thread and
needle in one hand and shirt-waist in the other. "What shall I do with
these? I can't take those shoes with these in my hand."

"Go back and take those things in and put them on the bed," said ma,
getting vexed at Alfy's excitement and trying to calm her down.

Alfy, after laying the things down, came back and took the shoes and
some new ribbons ma had brought her from Liza Jane's and went back to
the front room.

"My, but these shoes are real smart. I think that they are and hope
Dorothy will. And shucks, no one has such pretty ribbons. Black,
that's kind of old and dull looking. I like the red much the best. The
blue ones are real pretty, too. And my, but those red ribbons are
pretty." And thus Alfy talked to herself as she fussed around and
tried to remember all the little things she wanted.

"Ma, ma," and Alfy ran in the kitchen calling louder as she went:
"Where did you put my raincoat? You know I haven't used that one--the
good one--since I was to California with Dorothy."

"Well, let me see. Reckon I did see you have it. So long ago I can't
just remember. Must a been last year some time. Oh, did you look in
the closet in the barn? Upstairs in the room I had fixed for the boys
to sleep in, but they got scared and wouldn't. You remember I put all
the things we didn't use much up there."

"I'll look. Maybe it's up there," and Alfy went out still talking
to herself, while ma went all over the house, in all the closets,
looking for that raincoat. It was a very fine raincoat, one just like
Dorothy's, only Alfaretta's was red while Dorothy's was gray. Mrs.
Calvert had bought one for each of the girls in San Francisco. Alfy
had put hers away when she reached ho