"Could I ever get there?" asked Mary wistfully,
looking through her window at the far-off
blue. It was so new and big and wonderful and
such a heavenly color.

"I don't know," answered Martha. "Tha's
never used tha' legs since tha' was born, it seems
to me. Tha' couldn't walk five mile. It's five
mile to our cottage."

"I should like to see your cottage."

Martha stared at her a moment curiously before
she took up her polishing brush and began to rub
the grate again. She was thinking that the small
plain face did not look quite as sour at this moment
as it had done the first morning she saw it. It
looked just a trifle like little Susan Ann's when she
wanted something very much.

"I'll ask my mother about it," she said.
"She's one o' them that nearly always sees a way
to do things. It's my day out to-day an' I'm goin'
home. Eh! I am glad. Mrs. Medlock
thinks a lot o' mother. Perhaps she could talk to
her."

"I like your mother," said Mary.

"I should think tha' did," agreed Martha, polishing
away.

"I've never seen her," said Mary.

"No, tha' hasn't," replied Martha.

She sat up on her heels again and rubbed the

[[77]]

p076 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p077w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p078

v?