Page:A Study in Colour - Augusta Zelia Fraser.pdf/47

36 given the poor cows too much water," as the Missus diplomatically termed it, it was no fault of hers, and the delighted twinkle in her eyes, with which she engaged to give him the message, showed that she appreciated to the full the humour of the situation.

At first the milk used to arrive at all sorts of erratic hours, but the Missus found a remedy for that annoyance in the daily gift of a few sweets, if Angie was punctual. If she was later than she ought to be she got fewer sugar-plums, while if the milk was not forthcoming at the little Massa's breakfast-time, she was deprived of them altogether. On Sunday a small coin was added to the "sweeties" if she had been good throughout the week, as a reward of virtue.

Her costume on ordinary days consisted of a blue apron and a cotton gown, reaching to her brown knees, in a more or less tattered condition.

Although her mother was a dressmaker, and had a large circle of black and coloured ladies as customers, the idea of mending her little daughter's torn clothes never dawned on her.

To mend is an unknown verb in