"Oh, Mr. Vedder, there's been no one so good as you've been to me! And you never laugh at me like other folks do."
"No, indeed, child! Why should I? But I never knew before that you had such beautiful hair!"
"It's 'cause it's fixed better," said Amarilly with a blush. "But who wants the surplus this time?"
"I do," he replied smiling. "I am invited to a sheet and pillow-case party. I thought this surplice would be more comfortable than a sheet. Here's a dollar for it."
"No," declined Amarilly firmly. "Not arter all you've done fer us. I won't take it."
"Amarilly," he said earnestly. "I have no one in the world to do anything for, and sometimes, when I get to thinking about it, I am very lonely. So if you want to be kind to me, you will give me the pleasure of helping you a little now and then. I shall not enjoy the party unless you will take the money."
Amarilly cried a little that night, thinking how good he was.
"I hed orter like him best of all," she thought reproachfully.
Two or three days later Pete Noyes came to the house.
"Hello, Amarilly! I ain't seen yer in so long I'd fergit how you looked. Say, why didn't you ever fix yer hair that way afore? It looks swell, even if it is red!"