“I can’t read,” declared Louise.
Just then Mrs. Scott entered the room. If she was surprised to see the shoemaker’s daughter seated in her easy chair, wearing Faith’s new cap and holding “Lady Amy,” she did not let the little girls know it, but greeted Louise cordially, took Faith’s new shoes from their wrapping and said they were indeed a fine pair of shoes. Then she turned to Louise, with the pleasant little smile that Faith so admired, and said: “You are the first little girl who has come to see my little niece, so I think it would be pleasant if you two girls had a taste of my fruit cake that I make just for company,” and she started toward the dining-room and soon returned with a tray.
“Just bring the little table from the corner, Faithie, and set it in front of Louise and ‘Lady Amy,’” she said, and Faith hastened to obey.
Aunt Prissy set the tray on the table. “I’ll come back in a little while,” she said, and left the girls to themselves.
The tray was very well filled. There was a plate of the rich dark cake, and beside it two dainty china plates and two fringed napkins. There was a plate of thin slices of bread and butter, a plate of cookies, and two glasses filled with creamy milk.
“Isn’t this lovely?” exclaimed Faith, drawing a chair near the table. “It’s just like a party, isn’t it? I’m just as glad as I can be that you brought my shoes home, Louise. We’ll be real friends now, shan’t we?”