Aunt Ailsie, who had evidently finished her primer lesson and joined her daughter for a while, replied: "She allowed to me, that day I started on my A B C's, that hit was her clothes--she said they looked so quare atter the singing gal come in, she didn't aim to shame Fulty by playing pardners with him no more. She said she'd give nigh her life to have some clothes that sot as good on her as the singing gal's." "Clothes!" jeered Cynthia. "The reason she hain't been on that hill for nigh two weeks is because Fulty hain't never seed her nor heared her nor thought of her sence that air singing gal come in. He's pure franzied about her--hain't got eyes nor years for nobody else, and done forgot Lethie time out of mind. Man-like," she added, bitterly; "hit's allus the newest face with them. Hit was with his paw. And, of course, there's allus females laying wait to take 'em from their rightful women." "The singing gal hain't one of 'em," spoke up Aunt Ailsie, with warmth; "I'll be bound she hain't got no idee Fulty and Lethie been a-talking for nigh two year, and would have married afore now if Lethie'd a-been minded to leave her paw's young-uns. Or else she don't see Fulty's manœuvres. Not that he likely means anything by hit; and I don't know as a body can blame him for liking pretty people--I like 'em myself. And as for Fighting Fult, Cynthy, if you had a-just helt yourself in, and been kindly blind-like, and not give him a tongue-lash every time he cast a seeing eye on a fair-looker, hit's my opinion life would have run a sight smoother for both, and he wouldn't have done the wandering he done. Faulting a man kindly aggs him on, 'pears like." "Yes, lay hit all on me!" exclaimed Cynthia, angrily. Isabel, shocked at what she had heard,--for though she had seen Lethie on the hill the first day or two, noticed her devotion to her baby brother, and been struck by her beauty, she had not known that Lethie and Fult were sweethearts, or been aware of her later absence,--rose at once, and went straight across the street to Madison Lee's store, and up the stairway on the outside. A startled, but smiling Lethie, with little Madison in her arms, answered her knock and invited her in. "I can't stay just now," said Isabel; "I ran over just between classes, to ask why you don't come over to our sewing lessons? The older girls are learning to make simple dresses now, and I believe you would like that, wouldn't you? And I would so gladly help you, not only in class but at other times; for I know how busy you must be kept with your father's house and all the children on your hands. Suppose we run down right now to your father's store and pick out a dress, and maybe I'll have time to cut it out before I leave." "Oh, yes!" exclaimed Lethie, her large gray eyes starry; "oh, nobody knows how I have pined for pretty frocks; but I never knowed how to make 'em." She looked down apologetically at her faded blue cotton dress.