ok through the knot-hole for
Nannie. I knew her name, because I heard it so often. And then, in the
midst of my dejection, I met her. It was by accident. Tina had come for
me in the carriage, but Harland, having an errand at the harness shop,
had sent her on ahead, and we two were waiting for him on the
curb-stone. Of a sudden we heard an appalling outcry of canine yelps and
boyish yells, and I saw a sickening sight, a wretched little dog with a
tin can tied to his tail, which clattered against the bricks of the
sidewalk as he bounded; and in the can a huge fire-cracker spitting
fire! For sheer terror lest I should see the catastrophe, I covered up
my face. And _then_ I heard my Nannie's voice, 'Here, doggie! Here, poor
doggie!' I let my little coward hands drop. I saw her welcome the
terrified beast to the shelter of her skirts, while with one swift curve
she plucked out the hissing red stick and hurled it with admirable
certainty of aim straight at the pursuers. As they scampered away, she
told them what she thought of them. Before they could rally, Harland
came to the rescue with the carriage; and Tina pushed both of us into
it. It was one of those double phaetons which we all used to have then.
I don't know whether Tina's mercy would have included the dog; but he
included himself with a flying leap into Nannie's lap."

"And that was how you met Nancy?" said Mrs. Clymer. "You took her home,
didn't you, and found her conversation on the way very entertaining?"

"Entrancing. She was full of thrilling knowledge of the world. She went
to school all alone. Her father was a carpenter, and she had a hatchet
and a plane and a brace and bit all her very own. Her mother was dead,
but she lived with her aunty, and she invited us most politely to get
out and see her aunty, and her papa's shop in the back yard. 'We got a
lovely home,' said Nannie."

"Was it?" laughed the youngest clubwoman.

"I thought it was; and, yes, I think it was, now. So specklessly,
radiantly tidy. A tiny house of wood, but painted freshly in gray and
white, and with a most wonderful garden. That belonged to Nannie's aunt.
Nannie said she could make anything with a root grow. I remember she was
out amid the phlox--such brilliant, luxuriant phlox as it was! She had
on a white apron, which the sun made dazzling. By a wonderful
coincidence, the aunt went to Tina's church, and Tina knew her; so Tina
let me go inside the house, and the aunt gave us coffee ho