“Oh, don’t give her that lovely parasol!  We’ll think of something else.  Suppose we invite them all to dinner; you one day, and I another.”

“I don’t believe Grandma would like that.  And, anyway, that would only give them dinner for two days; we couldn’t keep it up, you know.  But, Molly, I’ll tell you what!  Let’s have a fair, or a bazaar or something,—­and make some money for them that way.”

“Just the thing!  That would be lovely.  Where shall we have it?”

“Right here in this porch.  Uncle Steve’ll help, I know.  And I’m sure Grandma won’t mind our doing that.”

When Marjorie laid the plan before Mrs. Sherwood that lady quite approved of it.

“Now, that’s something sensible,” she said; “it will be very nice for you girls to make things, and have a pretty little fair, but don’t go down there again and sweep rooms for those people.  I’m very sorry for poor Mrs. Dunn, but in this neighborhood there are not many poor people, and as the farmers are all kind-hearted I do not think she will suffer for lack of food while her injuries keep her from her work.”

“Isn’t there any Mr. Dunn?” asked Marjorie.

“No; he died a few months ago.  That is why she had to come here and live in that forlorn little cottage.  She hopes to support herself and her children by going out to work each day, but until her burns get well of course she can’t do that.”

“I’m sorry for her,” said Marjorie, decidedly, “and I hope we’ll make a lot at our fair to help her along.”

When they told Stella about the plan for the fair, she thought it all great fun.  She did not seem to care much about the Dunns or their needs, and positively refused to visit the little old cottage, but she was ready to work for the fair with all her might.

There seemed to be no end to the pretty things Stella knew how to make.  She was a clever little artist, and she painted cards, pictures, and trinkets of all sorts, which Molly and Midge helped to make up into various salable fancy articles.

Midge was ingenious, too, and every afternoon the three worked busily, making all sorts of things.

Dolls were a specialty; and they made funny Chinese-looking affairs by stringing peanuts together, and making queer little costumes out of Japanese paper-napkins.  They made paper dolls, too, which Stella painted prettily, and they dressed some little china dolls and wooden Dutch dolls.

Uncle Steve brought them materials to make up; and a letter which Marjorie wrote to her mother resulted in the arrival of a big box filled with all sorts of pretty and curious things, which would doubtless find a ready sale.

Marjorie crocheted mats and strung bead chains, while Molly, whose tastes were practical, made sweeping-caps and ironing-holders by the dozen.

So enthusiastic did the girls grow over their plan that their elders became interested, and soon donations for the fair began to arrive from many of the neighbors.