sweet as a rose."

"Well, of all things!" cried Mrs. Comstock. "Every two days! Any girl
who can't keep a dress clean longer than that is a dirty girl. You'll
wear the goods out and fade the colours with so much washing."

"We'll have a clean girl, anyway."

"Well, if you like the job you can have it," said Mrs. Comstock. "I
don't mind the washing, but I'm so inconvenient with an iron."

Elnora sat late that night working over her lessons. The next morning
she put on her blue dress and ribbon and in those she was a picture.
Mrs. Comstock caught her breath with a queer stirring around her heart,
and looked twice to be sure of what she saw. As Elnora gathered her
books her mother silently gave her the lunch box.

"Feels heavy," said Elnora gaily. "And smelly! Like as not I'll be
called upon to divide again."

"Then you divide!" said Mrs. Comstock. "Eating is the one thing we don't
have to economize on, Elnora. Spite of all I can do food goes to waste
in this soil every day. If you can give some of those city children a
taste of the real thing, why, don't be selfish."

Elnora went down the road thinking of the city children with whom she
probably would divide. Of course, the bridge would be occupied again. So
she stopped and opened the box.

"I don't want to be selfish," murmured Elnora, "but it really seems as