ings and stay awhile."

What a pleasant woman Kjersti Hoel was! She got up from her own chair
and set one forward for Lisbeth.

"Thank you; I shall be glad to sit down," said Lisbeth.

She took off the pail and the bundle of wool and put them down by the
door, and then began to walk across the floor over to the chair. It
seemed as if she would never get there, so far was it across the big
kitchen,--nearly as far as from their own door to the cow-house door at
Peerout Castle. At last, however, she reached the chair; but it was
higher than the seats she was accustomed to and she could barely
scramble up on one corner of it.

Kjersti Hoel came toward her.

"I really think I must open this roly-poly bundle and see what is in
it," said she; and she began to take off Lisbeth's red mittens and to
undo the knitted shawls. Soon Lisbeth sat there stripped of all her
outer toggery, but nevertheless looking almost as plump and roly-poly
as ever; for not only did her long frock barely clear the ground at the
bottom, but its band reached almost up under her arms.

Kjersti stood and looked at her a moment.

"That is just what I thought,--that I should find a nice little girl
inside all those clothes. You look like your mother."

At this Lisbeth grew so shy that she forgot all about being a spinning
woman. She cast down her eyes and could not say a word.

"But what is the matter with Randi, your mother?" continued Kjersti.
"Why could she not come herself?"

"She was a little poorly to-day."

"Indeed! Randi not well? And her health is generally so good. What ails
her?"

"Oh, she thought that very likely drinking strong coffee without milk
had not been good for her."

"So you have no milk at your house. Perhaps that is why you have
brought a pail with you."

"Yes; what do you think! Bliros has stopped giving us milk this
winter."

"Has she, indeed! That is rather inconvenient, isn't it? How long
before she can be milked again?"

"Not until the beginning of summer, after she has had her calf."

"H'm," said Kjersti thoughtfully. By and by, as if to herself, she
said: "I have often thought of going to see Randi, but have never done
so. Before this spring is over, I must surely pay her a visit."

* * * * *

Lisbeth Longfrock stayed a long time at Hoel that day. Although she had
come in the important character of spinning woman, she had never
imagined that a great person like K