“Anne plays a good game of bowls,” said Frederick, as they took their places at the table.
“I want to bowl,” exclaimed little Millicent.
“You can, any time you want to,” said Frederick, with his pleasant smile. “I’ll show you after dinner when Rose and Anne are sewing.”
Anne thought to herself that the family all wanted Millicent to do everything she wanted to, and she remembered “Martha,” and wondered what Millicent had done with her beloved doll, but did not dare ask. They were all pleasant and kind to Anne, but she felt as if Rose did not look at her quite as kindly as usual.
“I have your blue dimity all basted, my dear,” Mrs. Freeman said to Anne as they left the dining-room, “and you can sit with me and stitch up the seams this afternoon. Rose is to help Caroline with some cooking.”
Anne felt rather glad of this, for she dreaded having Rose say something about the happening of the morning. Mrs. Freeman led the way to her pleasant chamber. A little rush-bottomed rocking-chair stood near one of the windows.
“You may sit in the little chair, Anne; that is where Rose always sits. Now let’s see if this will fit your thimble-finger,” and Mrs. Freeman held out a little shining steel thimble, and fitted it on Anne’s finger. “It’s just right,” she said. “That is a little present for you, Anne; to go with the work-case that Mrs. Pierce gave you.”
“Thank you,” said Anne in a very low voice, looking at the pretty thimble, and wondering if Rose had told her mother about her trying to take the wooden doll from Millicent. “I’ll always keep it,” she said, looking up into the friendly face.
“Here is your work, my dear. Now set your stitches right along the basting, and set them evenly and as small as possible,” and Mrs. Freeman handed Anne the strips of dimity. “But about your thimble, Anne,” she continued. “I shall be better pleased if some time, when you perhaps have a thimble of silver, or have outgrown this one, you will give it to some other child who is learning to sew and has no thimble. We mustn’t plan to keep gifts always, even if we do prize them. Sometimes it is best to pass them on.”
Anne was quite sure that Mrs. Freeman meant that she ought to give the wooden doll to Millicent.