"No fear of that," answered Dolly, glancing up at her small riding-whip.
"I have finished in the kitchen, Aunt Dolly," said Rose. "Shall I go take my sewing?"
"Of course," said Dolly. "You might know that, without asking."
"Looking pale, is she?" said Dolly, turning to Daffy, "did you see what a bright color she had when she came in, and how her eyes sparkled?"
"I never saw her look so before," replied Daffy; "I wonder what has come over her."
"Nothing has come over her, except that it has done her good to work;" said Dolly, "talk about my being 'hard on her,' indeed."
"Good morning, Dolly! A paper of No. nine needles, sharps, if you please—have you heard the news?"
"No," exclaimed Dolly and Daffy in a breath.
"Well—Miss Pettingill was down to Miss Gill's to tea last night, and Miss Gill was to work the day before at Deacon Grant's; and she said Deacon Grant and Deacon Tufts were closeted in the back parlor all the afternoon, and Miss Gill listened at the key-hole, and she heard them say, that the minister ought to go off on a little journey with his wife, because they were so low sperrited about the baby, and they are going to raise the funds to send him to the springs or somewhere, I don't know where. Miss Gill couldn't hear the whole of it, because she was afraid of being caught listening."