"You needn't feel so glad nor look's if you was goin' to tumble over," she said. "It ain't no credit to any one them curtains was on the shelf waitin' to be cut up in a dress for you to fiddle in. Go put the mush on that there stove!" CHAPTER XIX THE LITTLE FIDDLER Jinnie's heart was skipping about like a silly little kitten as she sat watching Peg's stiff fingers making large stitches in the lace. "Oh, Peg, isn't it lovely? Perfectly beautiful! Nobody ever had a dress like that!... My, Peggy! How your fingers fly!" Peg's face was noncommittal to the point of blankness. "Tain't no credit to me what my hands do, Miss Jinnie," she said querulously. "I didn't make 'em." The girl's happiness was absolutely complete. The dress would be finished and Sunday evening----oh, Sunday evening! Then she walked restlessly to the window and studied the sky. "I hope it doesn't rain to-morrow!... Oh, Peggy, don't you hope so too?" Mrs. Grandoken glowered at her. "Kid," she said, "come away from that window. You been doin' nothin' but wishin' 'twon't rain all day. You'll wear out the patience of the Almighty; then he'll make it rain an' soak you through a-purpose." "I don't know which I like best, Lafe," the girl remarked presently, turning to the cobbler, "the red roses or the yellow." Bobbie came to Jinnie's side and fingered the lace. "Tell me how the dress looks, dear," he whispered, tugging at her sleeve. [Illustration: "YOU NEEDN'T FEEL SO GLAD NOR LOOK AS IF YOU WAS GOIN' TO TUMBLE OVER. IT AIN'T NO CREDIT TO ANYONE THEM CURTAINS WAS ON THE SHELF WAITIN' TO BE CUT UP IN A DRESS FOR YOU TO FIDDLE IN."] "Sure," agreed Jinnie. "Feel right here! Well, that's a beautiful red rose and here's a yellow one." She took his small finger and traced it over a yard of lace. "Feel that?" "Yes," murmured Bobbie. "Well, that's a green vine running up and down, and all around among the roses." "Oh, my!" gasped Bobbie. "Red and yellow. That's how the sun looks when it's goin' down, ain't it? And green's like the grass, eh?" "Just the same," replied Jinnie, laughing. "It's a beauty," supplemented Lafe, glowing with tenderness. "There won't be a dress at that party that'll beat it." Mrs. Grandoken shook out the voluminous folds of lace. "Anybody'd think to hear you folks talk that you'd made these rag tags with your toe nails," she observed dryly. "The smacking of some folks' lips over sugar they don't earn makes me tired! Laws me!... Now I'll try it on you, Jinnie," she ended. Jinnie turned around and around with slow precision as Mrs. Grandoken ascertained the correct hanging of the skirt. When the last stitches had been put in, and the dress lay in all its gorgeous splendor across the chair, Peg coughed awkwardly and spoke of shoes. "You can't wear them cowhides with lace," said she. "I might make a pair if I had a day and the stuff," suggested Lafe, looking around helplessly.