learned dear to do with it?"
demanded Dorothy, astonished.

"Everything. You see, she's the first woman teacher I ever
saw--the first _woman_ one. Rather than grow into such a stiff,
can't-bend-to-save-your-life kind of person I'd do 'most anything.
Hark! There's somebody to the door!"

Both girls sprang to open it and found a maid with a summons to
breakfast; also with the request that "Miss Dorothy should attend Mrs.
Calvert in her own room before going below stairs."

Dorothy sped away but Alfaretta lingered to put the cardinal flowers
into a vase and to admire afresh the beautiful apartment assigned to
her friend.

There was honest pleasure in the good fortune which had come to
another and yet there was a little envy mingled with the pleasure. It
was with a rather vicious little shake that she picked up the soft
bath-robe Dorothy had discarded and folded it about her own shoulders;
but the reflection of her own face in the mirror opposite so surprised
her by its crossness that she stared, then laughed aloud.

"Huh! Ain't you ashamed of yourself, Alfy Babcock? When you put on
that two-sticks, ten-penny-nails-look you're homely enough to eat hay!
'Tain't so long ago that Dolly hadn't no more in this world than
you've got this minute. Not half so much either, 'cause she hadn't
nobody belongin', nobody at all, whilst you had a Ma and Pa and a
whole slew of brothers and sisters. All she's found yet is a
terrible-old great-aunt and some money. Pa says 'money's no good,'
and--I guess I'll go get my breakfast, too."

Her good temper quite restored, this young philosopher skipped away
and joined her mother and sisters in the great kitchen where they were
already seated at table.

In Mrs. Calvert's room the happy old lady greeted Dorothy with such a
warmth of affection that the girl felt no lack of others
"belongin'"--for which lack Alfaretta had pitied her--and only yearned
to find a way to show her own love and gratitude. There followed a
happy half-hour of mutual confidences, a brief reading of the Word, a
simple prayer for blessing on their new lives together, and the pair
descended to the cheerful room where their guests were assembling:
each, it seemed, enjoying to the utmost their beautiful surroundings
and their hostess's hospitality.

Jests flew, laughter rang, and the Judge could scarcely refrain from
song; when just as the meal was over James Barlow appeared at the
long, open window, his mail bag over h