when the folks did take her back to Baltimore with
them. She married--deary me--maybe she married some one named--Haley,
I think. That's what it was; and I ain't heard from her since."

"Ma, can I have the sampler?" asked Alfy. "I would like to take it to
Baltimore to show Dorothy."

"Well, I s'pose I must say yes, if you want to show it to Dorothy
Calvert, and 'pears to me Mrs. Calvert might like to see it, too,"
remarked ma. "But come now, dinner is getting cold and you must get
to bed early, Alfaretta, if you want to catch that early train for
Baltimore, and like as not you've fooled your time away and haven't
packed a single thing."

But Alfy showed her mother she had been very busy and had all her
things ready to start. So she went off gladly to bed, dreaming that
all was ready and that she had departed for Dorothy, which, indeed,
the next morning was a reality.

CHAPTER III.

THE PREPARATIONS.

"You dear, dear Alfy," piped Dorothy, joyously as she ran to meet
Alfy, whom Metty had just brought up from the station to the house.

"Oh, Dorothy, I am so glad to see you," rejoined Alfy with none the
less joy than Dorothy had displayed. "I just must kiss you again."

"Did you have an uneventful trip?" asked Dorothy, drawing her friend
into the house.

"Just simply took train and arrived, that was all."

"Metty, you see that Alfy's things are taken up to the blue room."

Then turning to Alfaretta again, "Aunt Betty is upstairs in the sewing
room. We shall go straight to her. I believe she is just longing to
get a sight of you again, just as much as I was when I wrote you."

"Oh, Mrs. Calvert, I am so glad to see you again--Aunt Betty," said
Alfy, going over to Aunt Betty's chair and putting both arms around
her and kissing her several times.

"Why, Jim, I do declare. You here, too? Dorothy didn't say you were
here in her letter." Alfy then went to the doorway where Jim was
standing and gave him a hard hug.

"Oh, it's just like the old times." Jim blushed a rosy red and said
awkwardly, "I'm so glad to see you, Alfy. It's been more than a year
since you have seen me, isn't it?"

Jim decidedly disliked to be fussed over, and although he had known
Alfy all his life just as he had Dorothy, he always felt confused and
ill at ease when either of the girls kissed him or embraced him in any
way. Now all the other boys, so Gerald often told him, would only be
too glad to stand in his shoes.

"Come, Alfy