And  her  mother,  not  knowing  what  principle  of
childish  faith  was  involved,  hesitated,  knitting  her
small,  dark  face,  which  had  no  look  like  Lacina's,
perplexedly.
"  I  don't  know,  child,"  said  she.
"  Please,  mother  1"

"I  am  afraid  you'll  tronhle  yonr  aant,  Lncina."

"  No,  I  won't,  mother  !  I'll  take  my  doll,  and  I'll
play  with  her  real  quiet."

"I  am  afraid  your  aant  Camilla  will  have  some-
thing else  to  do."

"She  can  do  it,  mother.  I  won't  trouble  her — I
won't  speak  to  her — honest !     Please,  mother."

"You  ought  to  sit  down  at  home  this  afternoon
and  do  some  work,  Lucina."

"I'll  take  over  my  garter -knitting,  mother,  and
I'll  knit  ten  times  across."

It  happened  at  length,  whether  through  eflectnal
prayer,  or  snch  skilful  fencing  against  weak  maternal
odds,  that  the   little   Lncina,  all   fresh  frilled   and


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102


curled,  with  her  silk  fcnibang-'bag'  dangling  at  her
side,  and  her  dolVnefet'tedla  Ker  small  mother-shoul-
der, stepping  .w'it^\d^'nty  primness  in  her  jostling
starch^  pj^nt^Wts,  lifting  each  foot  carefully  lest
sKe/Wt'.h^f  nice  morocco  toes  against  the  stones,
';w6tot  up  the  road  to  her  aunt  Camilla's.
Miss  Camilla  Merritt  lived  in  the  house  which  had
helonged  to  her  grandfather,  called  the  "  old  Merritt
house'*  to  distinguish  it  from  the  one  which  her
father  had  built,  in  which  her  brother  Eben  lived.
