"No, but she's different--her clothes sets so good on her. I think she's the prettiest woman ever I seed." Aunt Ailsie looked at the lovely, wistful little face turned up to hers--the skin of milky whiteness, the big, heavily lashed gray eyes, the brave little mouth, the mass of pale golden hair drawn tightly back from forehead and temples, and twisted in a hard knot at the back. "I don't see as she's any ahead of you on looks," she decided. "Oh, I never did have no _looks_," said Lethie, deprecatingly; "but," earnestly, "I wisht I did have some clothes!" "Pore child, you hain't got ary grain of chance to be young and gayly, like you ought, with your maw dead and gone, and your paw's house and all that mess of young-uns on your hands. Hit's a pure shame for a young gal to be burdened down that way." "Oh, no, Aunt Ailsie," cried Lethie, in warm protest; "hit is my heart's delight to do for the young-uns sence maw died; I love them so good, and they love me so good, and little Maddy here is the sweetest babe ever was borned, and I can't stand to have him out of my sight." Aunt Ailsie shook her head. "Hit hain't right," she insisted; "your paw ought to get him a good woman, that would treat the young-uns kind, and give you a chance to be young and happy." "But I'm happy now," declared Lethie; "seems like I hain't had nothing but happiness sence these women come in--just all manner of good times. And paw says I am larning to cook so fine; and Charlie hain't been drunk nary time sence the Fourth of July, and Fulty behaving so civil--why, hit seems very near like heaven, and I just love all them women to death for coming, and this here new one most of all, because she's the smilingest and prettiest." "You're a mighty good little gal; the Lord'll bless you for hit!" Here the game broke up, and Fult came over to get Lethie for the next one. "You go right on now, and don't be so back'ard," insisted Aunt Ailsie. "I'll tend the least one for you." At her urging, Lethie went. But Isabel was playing just opposite, with Charlie as her partner; and every minute Lethie realized how much longer her own skirt was in the back than in the front, how clumsy her shoes were, how much too big and baggy her waist, and before long she said to Fult: "I hain't feeling good; you'll have to get you another pardner,"--and slipped out of the ring, shortly afterward going down the hill, with little Madison in arms, as Aunt Ailsie went.