visiting and sewing. The presence of the maids
and the machines called for more efficiency than
probably would have been shown in an ordinary
meeting. Fingers flew. The committee and
Miss Street measured and cut out little gar-
ments from the "dearest" little doll patterns,
bought that morning by Lucia and Betty, who
risked sizes and thought that Giovanna, at least,
could reduce or enlarge when necessary. The
machines hummed away and the two maids
seemed to have as much fun as anybody, par-
ticularly as Lucia treated them "just like
family," according to Mathilde, who was
properly shocked. Mathilde, while "sweet as
sugar" to Lucia, according to Dotty Bradshaw,
could say some very funny things about her.
_"I_ wouldn't care for such a friend," said Dotty.

Betty had dropped down by Dotty, who
wanted to know whether she thought a certain
scrap of pretty lace would make a good finish
for the neck of the doll dress she was making,
or whether a little embroidered collar would be
more suitable to the pattern. Betty gave her
opinion on this weighty question and then Dotty
informed her that Mathilde was "going to ask
her if Lucia's father and mother were going to
get a divorce."

"I thought I'd better warn you, Betty," said

[[110]]
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