"Did she say what for? Because I'm right in the midst of gettingsupper. I look for your pa any minute now, and I don't want tokeep him waiting."

"No 'm, she didn't say what for. She jist exclaimed: 'Ast yer ma won'tshe please an' step over here a minute.' I wouldn't put anythin' on.'T ain't cold. You needn't stay long, only till . . . I guess she'sin some of a hurry."

"Well, if Harriet Waldo skinnyks 'at I sometimes haven't anythin' better to do 'ntrot around after her at her beck an' . . . . All right, I'll come."

The twins got their slippers hid, and Mrs. Rowan threw her shawl overher head, and went next door to take Mrs. Waldo completely bysurprise. The good woman immediately invented an intricate problemin crochet work demanding instant solution. Mr. Rowan had broughthome a crayon enlargement of a daguerreotype of Ma, taken before shewas married, when they wore their hair combed down over their ears,and wide lace collars fastened with a huge cameo pin, and puffedsleeves with the armholes nearly at the elbows. They wore lace mittsthen, too. The twins thought it looked so funny, but Pa said: "It really wasall the style in them days. Laws! I mind the first time I took herhome from singin' school. . . . Tell you where less hide it. Inbetween the straw tick, and the feather tick." And Luanna May said:"What if company should come?" Elmer Lonnie ran over to Mrs. Waldo'sto tell Ma that Pa had come home, and wanted his supper right quick,because he had to get back to the store, there was so much trade inthe evenings now.