Part 34 (1/2)

Drusilla put down her trowel and looked interested.

”Do tell! How nice of 'em. Are they paid to do it?”

”Yes; the workers who live in the Settlement get a salary. But girls like myself give a day a week, or every once in a while go there and help.”

”What do you do?” asked Drusilla.

”I--I--teach sewing. I have a cla.s.s.”

Drusilla looked at her a moment in astonishment.

”_You_ teach sewing? _You_ have a sewing cla.s.s? I didn't know you sewed.”

”I--don't--_much_, but I can do enough for a cla.s.s like I have.

They're just making gymnasium suits, and we buy the pattern and I get along some way.”

Drusilla laughed.

”Well, for a girl who has all her clothes made and keeps a maid to sew on her b.u.t.tons, I think it is very nice of you to learn girls how to sew. You must be a great help in that work.”

Daphne flushed.

”Now you're laughing at me, Miss Doane.”

”No, I'm not laughin'; but it seems to me--how many girls you got in your cla.s.s?”

”I have ten.”

”How old are they?”

”About twelve to fourteen years.”

”When do you learn 'em?”

”Sat.u.r.day afternoon.”

”Well--well! You must let me go down with you some day and see you learn girls to make their dresses. I'd surely enjoy the sight.”

”That's why I came to you to-day. Our Settlement wants me to bring you down.”

Drusilla looked up inquiringly and a little suspiciously.

”Why do they want you to bring me down?”

Daphne said rather hesitatingly: ”Well--they would like to interest you in their mother's summer home.”

”What's that?”

”They have a home in the country where they send some of the poor mothers who live in the tenements and can't get away for the summer.”