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274 over, and hand them back to me, and say he 'd like a pair either a little longer or a little shorter. It 's too droll." On this particular Saturday morning, Netty was much afraid the stockings would not hold out to go round. One or two pairs had come out of the wash so hopelessly ragged that even her patience had not been equal to the trials of mending them; and the washerwomen were still in arrears with part of the wash, so that the piles on the stocking shelf looked ominously low. By noon there were not a dozen pairs left.

"I 'm going to begin to offer the scarlet ones, now," said Netty. "It 's a shame not to use them, they 're so nice. Perhaps I can put them off on somebody who is color-blind."

No man so color-blind as not to be startled at that flaming red! Man after man refused them. Netty held them out, saying with her most winning smile, "Here is a very nice pair of stockings; perhaps you like red;" but man after man replied, some timidly, some brusquely, that they 'd rather have any other color. At last came a man who wanted two pairs,—one for himself, one for the man who slept in the next bed to him, and was asleep now; and the nurse thought he 'd most likely not wake up before night, for he 'd been taking laudanum for the toothache.

"Here 's my chance," thought Netty, and laid the red stockings on the pile of clean clothes to be carried to the unconscious victim of the toothache.