“Will you let me take your hat, Mr. Barker?” as if he had just come in, and made him feel as if she had pressed him to stay. She took it and went and laid it on a stand across the room, and Lemuel thought he had never seen a much more graceful person. She wore a full Breton skirt, which was gathered thickly at the hips, and swung loose and free as she stepped. When she came back and sat down, letting the back of one pretty hand fall into the palm of the other in her lap, it seemed to him impossible that such an elegant young lady should be tolerating a person dressed as he was. “There!” began 'Manda Grier. “_I_ guess Mr. Barker won't object a great deal to our going on, if it _is_ Sunday. 'S kind of a Sunday game, anyways. You 'posed to games on Sunday?” “I don't know as I am,” said Lemuel. “Now, 'Manda Grier, don't you!” pleaded Statira. “Shall, too,” persisted 'Manda. “I guess if there's any harm in the key, there ain't any harm in the Bible, and so it comes out even. D'you ever try your fate with a key and a Bible?” she asked Lemuel. “I don't know as I did,” he answered. “Well, it's _real_ fun, 'n' its curious how it comes out, often_times._ Well, _I_ don't s'pose there's anything _in_ it, but it _is_ curious.” “I guess we hadn't better,” said Statira. “I don't believe Mr. Barker 'll care for it.” Lemuel said he would like to see how it was done, anyway. 'Manda Grier took the key out of the door, and looked at it. “That key 'll cut the leaves all to pieces.” “Can't you find some other?” suggested Statira. “I don't know but may be I could,” said 'Manda Grier. “You just wait a half a second.” Before Lemuel knew what she was doing, she flew out of the door, and he could hear her flying down the stairs. “Well, I _must_ say!” said Statira, and then neither she nor Lemuel said anything for a little while. At last she asked, “That window trouble you any?” Lemuel said, “Not at all,” and he added, “Perhaps it's too cold for you?” “Oh no,” said the girl, “I can't seem to get anything too cold for me. I'm the greatest person for cold weather! I'm _real_ glad it's comin' winter. We had the greatest _time_, last winter,” continued Statira, “with those English sparrows. Used to feed 'em crumbs, there on the window-sill, and it seemed as if they got to know we girls, and they'd hop right inside, if you'd let 'em. Used to make me feel kind of creepy to have 'em. They say it's a sign of death to have a bird come into your room, and I was always for drivin' 'em out, but 'Manda, she said she guessed the Lord didn't take the trouble to send birds round to every one, and if the rule didn't work one way it didn't work the other. You believe in signs?” “I don't know as I do, much. Mother likes to see the new moon over her right shoulder, pretty well,” said Lemuel.