ion, "that
you really know one style from another! Lots of people pretend they do,
but they soon get confused when I try to pin 'em down."

Patty smiled, as she disclaimed any great knowledge of the subject, but
she soon found that she knew enough to satisfy her hostess, who, after
all, enjoyed describing her treasures even more than listening to their
praises.

Miss Aurora Bender was a lady of sudden and rapid physical motion. While
the girls were examining the wonderful old relics, she darted from the
room, and returned in a moment, carrying two large baskets. They were of
the old-fashioned type of closely-woven reed, with a handle over the top,
and a cover to lift up on either side.

Miss Bender plumped herself down in the middle of a long sofa, and began
rapidly to extract the contents of the baskets, which proved to be
numerous fat rolls of gayly-coloured cotton material.

"It's patchwork," she announced, "and I make it my habit to get all the
help I can. I'm piecing a quilt, goose-chase pattern, and while I don't
know as it's the prettiest there is, yet I don't know as 'tisn't. If you
girls expect to sit the morning, and I must say you look like it, you
might lend a helping hand. I made the geese smaller'n I otherwise would,
'cause I had so many little pieces left from my rising-sun quilt. Looks
just as well, of course, but takes a powerful sight of time to sew. And I
must say I'm sorter particular about sewing. However, I don't s'pose you
young things of this day and generation know much about sewing, but if
you go slow you can't help doing it pretty well."

As she talked, Miss Bender had hastily presented each of the girls with a
basted block of patchwork, and had passed around a needle-cushion and a
small box containing a number of old-fashioned silver thimbles.

"Lucky I had a big family," she commented, "else I don't know what I'd
done for thimbles to go around. I can't abide brass things, that make
your finger look like it had been dipped in ink, but thanks to my seven
sisters who are all restin' comfortably in their graves, I have enough
thimbles to provide quite a parcel of company. Here's your thread. Now
sew away while we talk, and we'll have a real nice little bee."

Although not especially fond of sewing, the girls looked upon this
episode as a good joke, and fell to work at their bits of cloth.

Elise was a dainty little needlewoman, and overhanded rapidly and neatly;
Patty did fairly well, th