"Never mind, you'll have the first," answered Hattie; "you know you work better than any of the others."
"How many of you," continued the old lady, "are able to do worsted work nicely?"
"I can, grandmamma, very nicely," said Gracie promptly, while the others, more modest and shy, looked from one to another.
"Maggie Bradford works very nicely, ma'am," said Nellie Ransom.
"And so do you too, my dear, if I'm not mistaken," said Mrs. Howard. "Would you like to do one of the mats?"
"If you please, ma'am," said Nellie, and stepping up, Mrs. Howard gave her her choice among the mats.
"Ah! you have made the same choice as Gracie," said the old lady. "Well, we shall see who will do the best. Gracie, take the mat, my dear. Now for the other pair. Maggie, will you have one?"
But Maggie held back a little; and at length, with many blushes said, that she would prefer to take one of the toilet sets, because Bessie was anxious to help her, and she could do some of the easy sewing on the ruffles, but she could not do worsted work evenly enough to go with her own.
Dora took one of the second pair of mats; and Hattie, who was next in age, and who knew very little about embroidering, chose the other toilet set, as she believed she could do that better than the mat.
Maggie looked wishfully at this, and Mrs. Howard saw the look.