“Yes, I have.” “A relation?” “No; only a visitor. I am taking care of her a few days. Good-morning—though it is noon now.” When Annie re-entered her room she tried the thimble on the child’s finger, and found it fit. Then she took up a calico sack, from a pile that she was at work upon—just such a sack as the cheap stores sell for twenty cents apiece. “Here,” she said, “the buttonholes are worked, you see, and I have marked for the buttons. Now you may try to sew them on. Here is the card of buttons. Now let us see what you can do.” The child sat down on a little cricket and went solemnly to work. Annie began to prepare their frugal midday meal of coffee, bread, butter and stewed apples. By the time it was on the table the child got up and said: “I have sewed all the buttons—six of ’em—on this sack. Will you look and see if you like ’em, ma’am?” Annie took the garment the child held out. “It is very well done,” she said, after examining the work; and she thought: “It is better done than I could afford to do it at five cents a sack. Customers complain that our buttons drop off, but if they knew how little we get for our work!” “Hera showed me how to sew buttons on. I used to help her, too. I used to sew her strings together for her rag carpet. That is another sensible thing. Rag carpets use up all the rags and strings, you know.” “Yes,” said Annie. “Now come and sit up to the table.” The child obeyed and seated herself opposite to her hostess. “You are not used to this sort of a poor dinner,” said the latter. “Oh, I think it is just a lovely dinner! I am so fond of stewed apples, especially with plenty of sugar in them,” said the little guest, very sincerely. “You shall certainly have as much sugar as you like on your apples,” replied Annie. “Thank you, ma’am. How good you are to me!” said the child, as she received from her hostess a liberal supply of bread, butter and stewed apples, flanked by the sugar bowl, from which she was told to help herself to as much as she wished. “This is cozy and comfortable, isn’t it?” “Very.” When dinner was over and the dishes washed, and the room set in order, Annie went and brought from Harcourt’s apartment a bundle of old illustrated papers, which she offered to the child, saying: “You can get some amusement out of these while I go on with my work, can’t you?” “Of course I could, but I don’t want to. I would rather sew the buttons on the sacks. Now, you just look at that one and see how well I did it. I didn’t draw the threads too tight because that would pucker the places, but I did sew them on strong, and fasten my ends tight.” “You did the work very well, indeed, my dear.” “Hera showed me how, and she took pains to teach me, and I took pains to learn.” “Who is Hera, dear?” “Ducky Darling’s mother.” “Oh!” said Annie, with a smile.