l, what is it, Little Sister?" he asked.

I did wish he would quit that. No one really had a right to call me
that, except Laddie. Maybe I had to put up with Peter doing it when I
was his sister by law, but before, the old name the preacher baptized
on me was good enough for Peter. I was thinking about that so hard, I
didn't answer, and he asked again.

"I have seen Sally's wedding dress," I told him.

"But that's no reason why you should stare at me."

"That's just exactly the reason," I answered. "I was trying to see
what in the world there is about you to be worth a dress like that."

Peter laughed and laughed. At last he said that he was not really
worth even a calico dress; and he was so little worthy of Sally that he
would button her shoes, if she would let him. He got that mixed. The
buttons were on her slippers: her shoes laced. But it showed a humble
spirit in Peter. Not that I care for humble spirits. I am sure the
Crusaders didn't have them. I don't believe Laddie would lace even the
Princess' shoes, at least not to make a steady business of it. But
maybe Peter and Sally had an agreement to help each other. She was
always fixing his tie, and straightening his hair. Maybe that was an
impulse, though, and mother said Sally would get over being so
impulsive when she cut her eye teeth.

CHAPTER VII

When Sally Married Peter

"Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam,
Be it ever so humble there's no place like home!
A charm from the skies seems to hallow us there,
Which, seek through the world, is ne'er met with elsewhere."

When they began arranging the house for the wedding, it could be seen
that they had been expecting it, and getting ready for a long time.
From all the closets, shelves and chests poured heaps of new things.
First, the walls were cleaned and some of them freshly papered, then
the windows were all washed long before regular housecleaning time, the
floors were scrubbed and new carpet put down. Mother had some window
blinds that Winfield had brought her from New York in the spring, and
she had laid them away; no one knew why, then. We all knew now. When
mother was ready to put them up, father had a busy day and couldn't
help her, and she was really provoked. She almost cried about it, when
Leon rode in bringing the mail, and said Hannah Dover had some exactly
like ours at her windows, that her son had sent from Illinois. Father
felt badly enough th