Amarilly of Clothes-line Alley

The teacher at the Guild was even more beautiful than Amarilly's fancy,

fed by the little girl's vivid description, had pictured.

"Her hair ain't boughten," decided the keen-eyed critic as she gazed

adoringly at the golden braids crowning the small head. The color of her

eyes was open to speculation; when they had changed from gray to green,

from green to hazel, and from hazel to purple, Amarilly gave up the

enigma. The color of her complexion changed, too, in the varying tints

of peaches.

"I do b'lieve she ain't got no make-up on," declared Amarilly

wonderingly.

The little daughter of the stage-hand had not overappraised the diamond.

It shone resplendent on a slender, shapely hand.

"Miss King, I've brung a new scholar," introduced the little girl

importantly. "She's Amarilly."

As she glanced at her new pupil, the young teacher's eyes brightened

with spontaneous interest, and a welcoming smile parted her lips.

"I'm glad to see you, Amarilly. Here's a nice little pile of blue carpet

rags to sew and make into a ball. When you have made a lot of balls I'll

have them woven into a pretty blue rug for you to take home and keep."

"For the Boarder's room!" thought Amarilly joyously, as she went at her

work with the avidity that marked all her undertakings.

Presently a small seamstress asked for instruction as to the proper

method of putting the strips together. The fair face of the young

teacher became clouded for a moment, and she was unmistakably confused.

Her wavering, dubious glance fell upon Amarilly sitting tense and

upright as she made quick, forceful, and effective stabs with her

needle, biting her thread vigorously and resonantly. The stitches were

microscopic and even; the strips symmetrically and neatly joined.

The teacher's face cleared as she saw and seized her avenue of escape.

"You may all," she directed, "look at Amarilly's work and sew the strips

just as she does. Hers are perfect."

[Illustration: "You may all," she directed, "look at Amarilly's work."] Amarilly's wan little face brightened, and she proceeded to show the

children how to sew, bringing the same ease and effectiveness into her

tutoring that she displayed when instructing her brothers and Cory.

The sewing lesson continued for an hour. Then the children sang songs to

a piano accompaniment, and there followed a lesson in cooking and the

proper setting of a table. All this instruction was succeeded by an

informal chat.

"I want you all to tell me what you are going to do when you grow to be

women," said Miss King.