"Oh, enough that's just it don't want to know any more."
"Well, you needn't; but what's the matter with her?"
"Oh, I don't know. I'll tell you some other time she's a conceited little piece. We had the care of her coming up the river that's how I come to know about her; Ma said it was the last child she would be bothered with in that way."
Presently the two girls came back, bring word to clear the table, for Aunt Sophia was coming with the moroccoes. As soon as she came, Ellen Chauncey sprang to her neck and whispered an earnest question. "Certainly!" Aunt Sophia said, as she poured out the contents of the bag; and her little niece delightedly told Ellen she was to have her share as well as the rest.
The table was now strewn with pieces of morocco, of all sizes and colours, which were hastily turned over and examined with eager hands and sparkling eyes. Some were mere scraps, to be sure; but others showed a breadth and length of beauty which was declared to be "first-rate," and "fine;" and one beautiful large piece of blue morocco in particular was made up in imagination by two or three of the party in as many different ways. Marianne wanted it for a book-cover; Margaret declared she could make a lovely reticule with it; and Ellen could not help thinking it would make a very pretty needlebox, such a one as she had seen in the possession of one of the girls, and longed to make for Alice.
"Well, what's to be done now?" said Miss Sophia "or am I not to know?"
"Oh, you're not to know you're not to know, Aunt Sophy," cried the girls "you mustn't ask."
"I'll tell you what they are going to do with 'em," said George Walsh, coming up to her with a mischievous face, and adding in a loud whisper, shielding his mouth with his hand "they're going to make pr "
He was laid hold of forcibly by the whole party, screaming and laughing, and stopped short from finishing his speech.
"Well, then, I'll take my departure," said Miss Sophia "but how will you manage to divide all these scraps!"