Lyingthere，wide—eyedandmotionless，shestoodoutsideinthoughtandlookedatthehouse——assheusedtolookatitwithhim，beforetheyweremarried。Then，ithadrousedeveryblessedhopeanddreamofweddedjoy——itseemedacasketofuncountedtreasures。Now，inthisdrearymood，itseemednotonlyamereworkshop，butoneofalientasks，continuous，impossible，likethosesetfortheImprisonedPrincessbybadfairiesintheoldtales。Inthoughtsheenteredthewell—proportioneddoor——theGateofHappiness——andamustysmellgreetedher——shehadforgottentothrowoutthoseflowers！Sheturnedtotheparlor——no，thepianokeysweregritty，onehadtocleanthemtwiceadaytokeepthatroomasshelikedit。
Fromroomtoroomsheflitted，inhermind，tryingtorecalltheexquisitethingstheymeanttoherwhenshehadplannedthem;andeachonenowopenedglaringandblank，asaplacetoworkin——andtheworkundone。
"IfIwereanablerwoman！"shebreathed。Andthenhercommonsenseandcommonhonestymadeherreplytoherself："Iamableenough——inmyownwork！Nobodycandoeverything。Idon’tbelieveEdgar’ddoitanybetterthanIdo。——Hedon’thaveto！——andthensuchawaveofbitternessrushedoverherthatshewasafraid，andreachedoutonehandtotouchthecrib——theothertoherhusband。
Heawakenedinstantly。"Whatisit，Dear？"heasked。"Tootiredtosleep，youpoordarling？Butyoudolovemealittle，don’tyou？"
"O_yes_！"sheanswered。"Ido。Of_course_Ido！I’mjusttired，I
guess。Goodnight，Sweetheart。"
Shewaslateingettingtosleepandlateinwaking。
Whenhefinallysatdowntothehurriedlyspreadbreakfast—table，Mr。
Porne，longcoffeeless，founditabitdifficulttokeephistemper。
Isabelwasalittlestiff，bringingindishesandcups，andpayingnoattentiontothesoundsofwailingfromabove。
"Wellifyouwon’tIwill！"burstforththefatheratlast，andranupstairs，returningpresentlywithafineboyofsomeelevenmonths，whoceasedtobawlinthesefamiliararms，andcontentedhimself，forthemoment，withateaspoon。
"Aren’tyougoingtofeedhim？"askedMr。Porne，withforcedpatience。
"Itisn’ttimeyet，"sheannouncedwearily。"Hehastohavehisbathfirst。"
"Well，"withapatienceevidentlyforcedfarther，"isn’tittimetofeedme？"
"I’mverysorry，"shesaid。"Theoatmealisburnedagain。You’llhavetoeatcornflakes。And——thecreamissour——theicedidn’tcome——oratleast，perhapsIwasoutwhenitcame——andthenIforgotit……I
hadtogototheemploymentagencyinthemorning！……I’msorryI’mso——soincompetent。"
"SoamI，"hecommenteddrily。"Arethereanycrackersforinstance？
Andhowaboutcoffee？"
Shebroughtthecoffee，suchasitwas，andacanofcondensedmilk。
Alsocrackers，andfruit。Shetookthebabyandsatsilent。
"ShallIcomehometolunch？"heasked。
"Perhapsyou’dbetternot，"sherepliedcoldly。
"Istheretobeanydinner？"
"Dinnerwillbereadyatsix—thirty，ifIhavetogetitmyself。"
"IfyouhavetogetityourselfI’llallowforseven—thirty，"saidhe，tryingtobecheerful，thoughsheseemedlittlepleasedbyit。"Nowdon’ttakeitsohard，Ellie。Youareafirst—classarchitect，anyhow——onecan’tbeeverything。We’llgetanothergirlintime。Thisisjustthecommonlotouthere。Allthewomenhavethesametrouble。"
"Mostwomenseembetterabletomeetit！"sheburstforth。"It’snotmytrade！I’mwillingtowork，Iliketowork，butIcan’t_bear_
housework！Ican’tseemtolearnitatall！Andtheservantswillnotdoitproperly！"
"Perhapstheyknowyourlimitations，andtakeadvantageofthem！Butcheerup，dear。It’snokillingmatter。Orderbyphone，don’tforgettheice，andI’lltrytogethomeearlyandhelp。Don’tcry，deargirl，Iloveyou，evenifyouaren’tagoodcook！Andyouloveme，don’tyou？"
Hekissedhertillshehadtosmilebackathimandgivehimalovinghug;butafterhehadgone，thegloomsettleduponherspiritsoncemore。Shebathedthebaby，fedhim，puthimtosleep;andcamebacktothetable。Thescreendoorhadbeenleftajarandthehousewasbuzzingwithflies，hot，withaweek’saccumulatingdisorder。Thebreadshemadelastnightinfearandtrembling，washangingfatlyoverthepans;
perhapssouralready。Sheclappeditintotheovenandturnedontheheat。
Thenshestood，undetermined，lookingaboutthatmessykitchenwhilethebigfliesbumpedandbuzzedonthewindows，settledoneverydish，andswungingiddycirclesinthemiddleoftheroom。Turningswiftlysheshutthedooronthem。Thedining—roomwasnearlyasbad。Shebegantoputthecupsandplatestogetherforremoval;butsethertraydownsuddenlyandwentintothecomparativecoolnessoftheparlor，closingthedining—roomdoorbehindher。
Shewasquitetiredenoughtocryafterseveralnightsofbrokenrestanddaysofconstantdiscomfortandirritation;butasenseofrisingangerkeptthetearsback。
"OfcourseIlovehim！"shesaidtoherselfaloudbutsoftly，rememberingthebaby，"Andnodoubthelovesme！I’mgladtobehiswife！I’mgladtobeamothertohischild！I’mgladImarriedhim！
But——_this_isnotwhatheoffered！Andit’snotwhatIundertook！Hehasn’thadtochangehisbusiness！"
Shemarchedupanddownthescantspace，andthenstoppedshortandlaugheddrily，continuinghersmotheredsoliloquy。
"’Doyouloveme？’theyask，and，’Iwillmakeyouhappy！’theysay;andyougetmarried——andafterthatit’sHousework！"
"Theydon’tsay，’WillyoubemyCook？’’WillyoubemyChambermaid？’
’Willyougiveupagoodcleanwell—paidbusinessthatyoulove——thathasbighopeandpowerandbeautyinit——andcomeandkeephouseforme？’"
"Lovehim？I’dbeinParisthisminuteifIdidn’t！Whathas’love’todowithdustandgreaseandflies！"
Thenshediddroponthesmallsofaandcrytempestuouslyforalittlewhile;butsoonarose，fiercelyashamedofherweakness，andfacedtheday;thinkingoftheoldladywhohadsomuchtodoshecouldn’tthinkwhattofirst——soshesatdownandmadeapincushion。
Then——wheretobegin！
"Eddiewillsleeptillhalf—pastten——ifI’mlucky。It’snownearlyhalf—pastnine，"shemeditatedaloud。"IfIdotheupstairsworkI
mightwakehim。Imustn’tforgetthebread，thedishes，theparlor——O
thoseflies！Well——I’llclearthetablefirst！"
Steppingsoftly，andhandlingthedisheswithslowcare，shecleanedthebreakfasttableanddarkenedthedining—room，flappingoutsomeoftheflieswithatowel。Thensheessayedtheparlor，dustingandarrangingwithundecidedsteps。"It_ought_tobeswept，"sheadmittedtoherself;"Ican’tdoit——thereisn’ttime。I’llmakeitdark——"
"I’dratherplanadozenhouses！"shefiercelymuttered，asshefussedabout。"Yes——I’dratherbuild’em——thantokeeponeclean！"
Thenwereherhopesdashedbyarisingwailfromabove。Shesatquitestillawhile，hopingagainsthopethathewouldsleepagain;buthewouldn’t。Soshebroughthimdowninfullcry。
Inherlowchairbythewindowsheheldhimandproducedbrightandjinglingobjectsfromthetallworkbasketthatstoodnearby，sighingagainassheglancedatitsaccumulatedmending。
MasterEddygrewcalmandhappyinherarms，butshowedagrowinginterestinthepleasingmaterialsproducedforhisamusement，andadesireforcloseracquaintance。Thenapenetratingodorfilledtheair，andwithasudden"Odear！"sherose，putthebabyonthesofa，andstartedtowardthekitchen。
Atthismomentthedoorbellrang。
Mrs。Pornestoppedinhertracksandlookedatthedoor。Itremainedopaqueandimmovable。Shelookedatthebaby——whojiggledhisspoolsandcrowed。Thensheflewtotheovenanddraggedforththebread，notmuchburnedafterall。Thensheopenedthedoor。
Anicelookingyoungwomanstoodbeforeher，inaplaintravellingsuit，holdingacheapdress—suitcaseinonehandandadenim"roll—bag"intheother，whometherwithacheerfulinquiringsmile。
"AreyouMrs。EdgarPorne？"sheasked。
"Iam，"answeredthatlady，somewhatshortly，herhandonthedoorknob，herearonthebaby，hernosestillremorsefullyinthekitchen，hereyesfixedsternlyonhervisitorthewhile;asshewonderedwhetheritwasliterature，cosmetics，ormedicine。
Shewasabouttoaddthatshedidn’twantanything，whentheyoungladyproducedacardfromtheRev。BenjaminA。Miner，Mrs。Porne’sparticularlyreveredminister，andstatedthatshehadheardtherewasavacancyinherkitchenandshewouldliketheplace。
"IntroducingMrs。D。Bell，wellknowntofriendsofmine。"
"Idon’tknow——"saidMrs。Porne，readingthecardwithoutintheleastgraspingwhatitsaid。"I——"
Justthentherewasadullfallingsoundfollowedbyasharprisingone，andsherushedintotheparlorwithoutmorewords。
Whenshecouldhearandbeheardagain，shefoundMrs。Bellseatedintheshadowylittlehall，sereneandcool。"IcalledonMr。MineryesterdaywhenIarrived，"saidshe，"withlettersofintroductionfrommyformerminister，toldhimwhatIwantedtodo，andaskedhimifhecouldsuggestanyoneinimmediateneedofhelpinthisline。Hesaidhehadcalledhererecently，andbelievedyouwerelookingforsomeone。
HereistheletterIshowedhim，"andshehandedMrs。PorneamostfriendlyandappreciativerecommendationofMissD。BellbyaministerinJopalez，IncaCo。，statingthatthebearerwasfullyqualifiedtodoallkindsofhousework，experienced，honest，kind，hadworkedsevenyearsinoneplace，andonlyleftithopingtodobetterinSouthernCalifornia。
Backedbyherownpastor’sapprovalthisseemedtoMrs。Pornefullysufficient。Thelookofthegirlpleasedher，thoughsuspiciouslyaboveherstationinmanner;serviceofanysortwasscarceandhighinOrchardina，andshehadbeenanagelongweekwithoutany。"Whencanyoucome？"sheasked。
"Icanstopnowifyoulike，"saidthestranger。"Thisismybaggage。
Butwemustarrangetermsfirst。IfyouliketotrymeIwillcomethisweekfromnoonto—daytonoonnextFriday，forsevendollars，andthenifyouaresatisfiedwithmyworkwecanmakefurtherarrangements。I
donotdolaundrywork，ofcourse，anddon’tundertaketohaveanycareofthebaby。"
"Itakecareofmybabymyself！"saidMrs。Porne，thinkingthenewgirlwaspresuming，thoughhermannerwasmostgentlyrespectful。Butaweekwasnotlong，shewaswellrecommended，andtheimmediatepressureinthatkitchenwheretheharvestwassoripeandthelaborerssofew——"Well——youmaytrytheweek，"shesaid。"I’llshowyouyourroom。
Andwhatisyourname？"
"MissBell。"
WHATDIANTHADID
CHAPTERV。
Whenthefiggrownsonthethistle，Andthesilkpurseonthesow;
Whenoneswallowbringsthesummer，Andbluemoonsonherbrow——
Thenwemaylookforstrengthandskill，Experience，goodhealth，goodwill，Artandsciencewellcombined，Honestsoulandablemind，Servantsbuiltuponthisplan，Onetowaitoneveryman，Patientlyfromyouthtoage，——
Forlessthanastreetcleaner’swage！
Whentheparson’sgayonMondays，WhenwemeetamonthofSundays，Wemaylookforthemandfindthem——
ButNotNow！
WhenyoungMrs。Weatherstoneswepthertrailingcrepefromtheautomobiletoherfriend’sdoor，itwasopenedbyaquick，soft—footedmaidwithapleasantface，whoshowedherintoaparlor，notonlycoolandflower—lit，buthavingthatfreshsmellthattellsofnew—washedfloors。
Mrs。Pornecameflyingdowntomeether，withsuchalookofrestandcomfortasrousedinstantnotice。
"Why，Belle！Ihaven’tseenyoulooksobrightineversolong。Itmustbethenewmaid！"
"That’sit——she’s’Bell’too——’MissBell’ifyouplease！"
Thevisitorlookedpuzzled。"Isshea——afriend？"sheventured，notsureofherground。
"Ishouldsayshewas！Afriendinneed！Sitherebythewindow，Viva——andI’lltellyouallaboutit——asfarasitgoes。"
Shegailyrecountedherclimaxofconfusionandweariness，andthesuddenappearanceofthisministeringangel。"Shearrivedataboutquarteroften。Iengagedherinsideoffiveminutes。Shewasintoaginghamgownandatworkbyteno’clock！"
"Whatpromptness！AndIsupposetherewasplentytodo！"
Mrs。Pornelaughedunblushingly。"Therewasenoughfortenwomenitseemedtome！Let’ssee——it’saboutfivenow——sevenhours。Wehaveninerooms，besidesthehallsandstairs，andmyshop。Shehasn’ttouchedthatyet。Butthehouseisclean——_clean_！Smellit！"
Shetookherguestoutintothehall，throughthelibraryanddining—room，upstairswherethepleasantbedroomsstretchedopenandorderly。
"ShesaidthatifIdidn’tmindshe’dgiveitasuperficialgeneralcleaningtodayandbemorethoroughlater！"
Mrs。Weatherstonelookedaboutherwitharatherlanguidinterest。"I’mverygladforyou，Belle，dear——but——whatanendlessnuisanceitallis——don’tyouthinkso？"
"Nuisance！It’sslowdeath！tomeatleast，"Mrs。Porneanswered。"ButIdon’tseewhyyoushouldmind。IthoughtMadamWeatherstoneranthat——palace，ofyours，andyoudidn’thaveanytroubleatall。"
"Ohyes，sherunsit。Icouldn’tgetalongwithheratallifshedidn’t。That’sherlife。Itwasmymother’stoo。Alwaysfussingandfussing。Theirhousesontheirbacks——likesnails！"
"Don’tseewhy，withten（orisitfifteen？）servants。"
"Itstwenty，Ithink。ButmydearBelle，ifyouimaginethatwhenyouhavetwentyservantsyouhaveneitherworknorcare——comeandtryitawhile，that’sall！"
"Notforamillionairebaby’sransom！"answeredIsabelpromptly。
"GivememydrawingtoolsandplansandI’mhappy——butthisbusiness"——shesweptawhitehandwearilyabout——"it’snotmywork，that’sall。"
"Butyou_enjoy_it，don’tyou——Imeanhavingnicethings？"askedherfriend。
"OfcourseIenjoyit，butsodoesEdgar。Can’tawomanenjoyherhome，justasamandoes，withoutrunningtheshop？Ienjoyoceantravel，butIdon’twanttobeeitheracaptainoracommonsailor！"
Mrs。Weatherstonesmiled，alittlesadly。"You’relucky，youhaveotherinterests，"shesaid。"Howaboutourbungalow？haveyougotanyfarther？"
Mrs。Porneflushed。"I’msorry，Viva。Yououghttohavegivenittosomeoneelse。Ihaven’tgoneintothatworkroomforeightsoliddays。
Nohelp，andthebaby，youknow。AndIwasalwaysdog—tired。"
"That’sallright，dear，there’snoverygreatrush。Youcangetatitnow，can’tyou——withthisotherBelletothefore？"
"She’snotBelle，blessyou——she’s’MissBell。’It’sherlastname。"
Mrs。Weatherstonesmiledherfaintsmile。"Well——whynot？Likeaseamstress，Isuppose。"
"Exactly。That’swhatshesaid。"Ifthislaborwasasimportantasthatofseamstressorgovernesswhynotthesamecourtesy——Ohshe’samostsuperior_and_opinionatedyoungperson，Icanseethat。"
"Ilikeherlooks，"admittedMrs。Weatherstone，"butcan’twelookoverthoseplansagain;there’ssomethingIwantedtosuggest。"Andtheywentuptothebigroomonthethirdfloor。
InhershopandatherworkIsabelPornewasadifferentwoman。Shewaseagerandyetcalm;fullofideasandideals，yetwithapracticalknowledgeofdetailsthatmadeherhousesdeartothesoulsofwomen。
Shepointedoutinthenewdrawingsthepracticaladvantagesofkitchenandpantry;thesimplebutthoroughventilation，thedeepclosets，tillherfriendfairlylaughedather。"Andyousayyou’renotdomestic！"
"I’madomesticarchitect，ifyoulike，"saidIsabel;"butnotadomesticservant。——I’llrememberwhatyousayaboutthosewindows——it’sagoodidea，"andshemadeacarefulnoteofMrs。Weatherstone’ssuggestion。
Thatladypushedtheplansawayfromher，andwenttothemanycushionedloungeinthewidewestwindow，whereshesatsolongsilentthatIsabelfollowedatlastandtookherhand。
"Didyoulovehimsomuch？"sheaskedsoftly。
"Who？"wasthesurprisinganswer。
"Why——Mr。Weatherstone，"saidMrs。Porne。
"No——notverymuch。Buthewassomething。"
Isabelwaspuzzled。"Iknewyousowellinschool，"shesaid，"andthatgayyearinParis。Youwerealwaysadear，submissivequietlittlething——butnotlikethis。What’shappenedViva？"
"Nothingthatanybodycanhelp，"saidherfriend。"Nothingthatmatters。Whatdoesmatter，anyway？Fussandfussandfuss。Dressandentertain。Traveltillyou’retired，andresttillyou’recrazy！
Then——whenarealthinghappens——there’sallthis！"andsheliftedherblackdraperiesdisdainfully。"Andmourningnotepaperandcardsandservant’slivery——andallthethingsyoumustn’tdo！"
Isabelputanarmaroundher。"Don’tmind，dear——you’llgetoverthis——youareyoungenoughyet——theworldisfullofthingstodo！"
ButMrs。Weatherstoneonlysmiledherfaintsmileagain。"Ilovedanotherman，first，"shesaid。"Arealone。Hedied。Henevercaredformeatall。Icaredfornothingelse——nothinginlife。That’swhyI
marriedMartinWeatherstone——notforhisoldmillions——buthereallycared——andIwassorryforhim。Nowhe’sdead。AndI’mwearingthis——andstillmourningfortheotherone。"
Isabelheldherhand，strokeditsoftly，laiditagainsthercheek。
"Oh，I’llfeeldifferentlyintime，perhaps！"saidhervisitor。
"Maybeifyoutookholdofthehouse——ifyouranthingsyourself，"——venturedMrs。Porne。
Mrs。Weatherstonelaughed。"Andturnouttheoldlady？Youdon’tknowher。Whyshemanagedhersontillheranawayfromher——andafterhegotsorichandimportedherfromPhiladelphiatoruleoverOrchardinaingeneralandhishouseholdinparticular，shemanagedthatpoorlittlefirstwifeofhisintohergrave，andthatwretchedboy——he’stheonlypersonthatmanagesher！She’sutterlyspoiledhim——thatwashisfather’sconstantgrief。No，no——letherrunthehouse——shethinkssheownsit。"
"She’sfondofyou，isn’tshe？"askedMrs。Porne。
"OIguessso——ifIletherhaveherownway。Andshecertainlysavesmeagreatdealoftrouble。Speakingoftrouble，theretheyare——shesaidshe’dstopforme。"
Atthegatepuffedthebigcar，apersoninliveryrangthebell，andMrs。Weatherstonekissedherfriendwarmly，andpassedlikeaheavyshadowalongtherose—borderedpath。Inthetonneausatamassiveoldladyinsobersilks，withasetimpassivecountenance，severelycorrectineveryfeature，andyoungMatWeatherstone，sulkybecausehehadtoridewithhisgrandmothernowandthen。Hewasnotaniceyoungman。
*
Dianthafoundithardtowriteherhomeletters，especiallytoRoss。
Shecouldnottellthemofallshemeanttodo;andshemusttellthemofthispartofit，atonce，beforetheyheardofitthroughothers。
Toleavehome——toleaveschool—teaching，toleavelove——and"goouttoservice"didnotseemastepup，thatwascertain。Butshesetherredlipstighterandwrotetheletters;wrotethemandmailedthemthatevening，tiredthoughshewas。
Threeletterscamebackquickly。
Hermother’sanswerwasaffectionate，patient，andtrustful，thoughnotunderstanding。
Hersister’swasasunpleasantasshehadexpected。
"The_idea！_"wroteMrs。Susie。"Agirlwithagoodhometoliveinandanothertolookforwardto——andabletoearnmoney_respectably！_togooutandworklikeacommonIrishgirl！WhyGeraldissomortifiedhecan’tfacehisfriends——andI’masashamedasIcanbe！Myownsister！
Youmustbe_crazy_——simply_crazy！_"
Itwashardonthem。Dianthahadfacedherowndifficultiesbravelyenough;andsympathizedkeenlywithhermother，andwithRoss;butshehadnotquitevisualizedthemortificationofherrelatives。Shefoundtearsinhereyesoverhermother’sletter。Hersister’smadeherbothsorryandangry——amostdisagreeablefeeling——aswhenyousteponthecatonthestairs。Ross’slettersheheldsometimewithoutopening。
Shewasinherlittleupstairsroomintheevening。Shehadswept，scoured，scaldedandcarbolizedit，andthehospitallysmellwasnowgivingwaytothesoftrichnessoftheouterair。The"hoo！hoo！"ofthelittlemourningowlcametoherearsthroughthewhisperingnight，andlargemothsbeatnoiselesslyagainstthewindowscreen。Shekissedtheletteragain，heldittightlytoherheartforamoment，andopenedit。
"Dearest：Ihaveyourletterwithits——somewhatsurprising——news。Itisacomforttoknowwhereyouare，thatyouaresettledandinnodanger。
"Icanreadilyimaginethatthisisbutthepreliminarytosomethingelse，asyousaysorepeatedly;andIcanunderstandalsothatyouaretoowisetotellmeallyoumeantobebeforehand。
"Iwillbeperfectlyfrankwithyou，Dear。
"InthefirstplaceIloveyou。Ishallloveyoualways，whateveryoudo。ButIwillnotdisguisefromyouthatthiswholebusinessseemstomeunutterablyfoolishandwrong。
"Isupposeyouexpectbysomemysteriousprocessto"develope"and"elevate"thishouseworkbusiness;andtomakemoney。Ishouldnotloveyouanybetterifyoumadeamillion——andIwouldnottakemoneyfromyou——youknowthat，Ihope。Ifintheyearswemustwaitbeforewecanmarry，youarehappierawayfromme——workinginstrangekitchens——oroffices——thatisyouraffair。
"Ishallnotarguenorpleadwithyou，DearGirl;Iknowyouthinkyouaredoingright;andIhavenoright，norpower，topreventyou。Butifmywishwererightandpower，youwouldbehereto—night，undertheshadowoftheacaciaboughs——inmyarms！
"Anytimeyoufeellikecomingbackyouwillbewelcome，Dear。
"Yours，Ross。"
Anytimeshefeltlikecomingback？
Dianthaslippeddowninalittleheapbythebed，herfaceontheletter——herarmsspreadwide。Thelettergrewwetterandwetter，andhershouldersshookfromtimetotime。
Butthehandsweretight—clenched，andifyouhadbeennearenoughyoumighthaveheardadoggedrepetition，monotonousasaTibetanprayermill："Itisright。Itisright。Itisright。"Andthen。"Helpme——please！Ineedit。"Dianthawasnot"giftedinprayer。"
WhenMr。Pornecamehomethatnighthefoundthewifelysmilewhichissupposedtogreetallreturninghusbandsquitegenuinelyinevidence。
"OEdgar！"criedsheinatriumphantwhisper，"I’vegotsuchanicegirl！She’sjustasneatandquick;you’venoideatheworkshe’sdonetoday——itlookslikeanotherplacealready。Butifthingslookqueeratdinnerdon’tnoticeit——forI’vejustgivenherherhead。Iwassotired，andbabybotheredso，andshesaidthatperhapsshecouldmanageallbyherselfifIwaswillingtoriskit，soItookbabyforacar—rideandhaveonlyjustgotback。AndI_think_thedinner’sgoingtobelovely！"
Itwaslovely。Thedining—roomwascoolandflyless。Thetablewassetwithanassuredtouch。AfewofOrchardina’severreadyrosesinaglassbowlgaveanairofintendedbeautyMrs。Pornehadhadnotimefor。
Thefoodwaswell—cookedandwell—served，andtheattendanceshowedanintelligentappreciationofwhenpeoplewantthingsandhowtheywantthem。
Mrs。Pornequiteglowedwithexultation，butherhusbandgentlysuggestedthatthenewnessofthebroomwasvisiblyuppermost，andthatsuchpalpableperfectionswereprobablyaccompaniedbysomedrawbacks。
Buthelikedherlooks，headmitted，andthecookingwouldcoveramultitudeofsins。
Onthistheyrested，whiletheweekwentby。Itwasafullweek，andashortone。Mrs。Porne，makinghaywhilethesunshone，caughtupalittleinhersewingandmadesomeconscience—tormentingcalls。
WhenThursdaynightcamearoundshewassimplyrunningoverwithinformationtogiveherhusband。
"SuchatalkasIhavehadwithMissBell！Sheissoqueer！Butshe’snicetoo，andit’sallreasonableenough，whatshesays。Youknowshe’sstudiedthisthingallout，andsheknowsaboutit——statisticsandthings。IwasastonishedtillIfoundsheusedtoteachschool。Justthinkofit！Andtobewillingtoworkout！Shecertainlydoesherworkbeautiful，but——itdoesn’tseemlikehavingaservantatall。I
feelasifI——boardedwithher！"
"Whysheseemedtomeverymodestandunpresuming，"putinMr。Porne。
"Oyes，sheneverpresumes。ButImeanthecapablewayshemanages——I
don’thavetotellheronething，nortooversee，norcriticize。I
spokeofitandshesaid，’IfIdidn’tunderstandthebusinessIshouldhavenorighttoundertakeit。"
"That’sanewpointofview，isn’tit？"askedherhusband。"Don’ttheyusuallymakeyouteachthemtheirtradeandchargefortheprivilege？"
"Yes，ofcoursetheydo。Butthenshedoeshaveherdisadvantages——asyousaid。"
"Doesshe？Whatarethey？"
"Whyshe’sso——rigid。I’llreadyouher——Idon’tknowwhattocallit。
She’swrittenoutadefinitepropositionastoherstayingwithus，andIwantyoutostudyit，it’sthequeerestthingIeversaw。"
Thedocumentwassomewhatnovel。Aclearstatementofthehoursoflaborrequiredintheposition，thequalityandamountofthedifferentkindsofwork;thetermsonwhichshewaswillingtoundertakeit，andallprefacedbyafewremarksonthestatusofhouseholdlaborwhichmadeMr。Porneopenhiseyes。
ThusMissBell;"Theordinaryrateforlaborinthisstate，unskilledlaboroftheordinarysort，is$2。00aday。Thisisinreturnforthesimplestexertionofbruteforce，underconstantsupervisionanddirection，andinvolvingnoseriousrisktotheemployer。"
"Householdlaborcallsforthepracticeofseveraldistinctcrafts，and，tobeproperlydone，requiresthoroughtrainingandexperience。Itsperformerisnotonlyinapositionofconfidence，asnecessarilyentrustedwiththecareoftheemployer’sgoodsandwithknowledgeofthemostintimatefamilyrelations;buttheworkitself，inmaintainingthelifeandhealthofthemembersofthehousehold，isofmostvitalimportance。
"Inconsiderationofexistingeconomicconditions，however，Iamwillingtoundertaketheseintricateandresponsibledutiesforasevendayweekatlesswagesthanaregiventhestreet—digger，for$1。50aday。"
"Goodgracious，mydear！"saidMr。Porne，layingdownthepaper，"Thisyoungwomandoesappreciateherbusiness！Andwe’retobeletoffeasyat$45。00amonth，arewe"
"Andfeelunderobligationsatthat！"answeredhiswife。"Butyoureadahead。Itismostinstructive。WeshallhavetoaskhertoreadapaperfortheClub！"
"’Infurtherconsiderationoftheconditionsofthetime，Iamwillingtoacceptpartpaymentinboardandlodginginsteadofcash。Suchaccommodationsasareusuallyofferedwiththispositionmayberatedat$17。00amonth。"
"Ocomenow，don’tweboardheranybetterthanthat？"
"That’swhatIthought，andIaskedheraboutit，andsheexplainedthatshecouldgetaroomasgoodforadollaranda—halfaweek——shehadactuallymadeinquiriesinthisverytown！Andshecould;reallyabetterroom，betterfurnished，thatis，andservicewithit。YouknowI’vealwaysmeanttogetthegirl’sroomfixedmoreprettily，butusuallytheydon’tseemtomind。Andastofood——youseesheknowsallaboutthecostofthings，andthematerialssheconsumesarereallynotmorethantwodollarsandahalfaweek，iftheyarethat。Sheevenmadesomefiguresformetoproveit——see。"
Mr。Pornehadtolaugh。
"Breakfast。Coffeeatthirty—fivecentsperpound，onecup，onecent。
Oatmealatfourteencentsperpackage，onebowl，onecent。Breadatfivecentsperloaf，twoslices，one—halfcent。Butteratfortycentsperpound，onepiece，oneanda—halfcents。Orangesatthirtycentsperdozen，one，threecents。Milkateightcentsperquart，onoatmeal，onecent。Meatorfishoregg，averagefivecents。Total——thirteencents。"
"There！Andsheshowedmedinnerandlunchthesameway。Ihadnoideafood，justthematerial，costsolittle。It’sthelabor，shesaysthatmakesitcosteveninthecheapestrestaurant。"
"Isee，"saidMr。Porne。"Andinthecaseofthedomesticservantwefurnishthematerialsandshefurnishesthelabor。Shecooksherownfoodandwaitsonherself——naturallyitwouldn’tcomehigh。Whatdoesshemakeit？"
’Food，averageperday……$0。35
Room，$1。50perw’k，ave。perday……22
—————。57
Total，permonth……$17。10
$1。50perday，permonth……$45。00
"’Remainingpayableincash，$28。00。’DoIstilllive！ButmydearEllie，that’sonlywhatanordinaryfirst—classcookcharges，outhere，withoutallthisfuss！"
"Iknowit，Ned，butyouknowwethinkit’sawful，andwe’realwaystellingabouttheirgettingtheirboardandlodgingclear——asifwegave’emthatoutofthegoodnessofourhearts！"
"Exactly，mydear。Andthisamazingandarithmeticalyoungwomanmakesusfeelasifweweregivingherwampuminsteadofmoney——mereprimitivebarterofancientdaysinreturnforhertwentiethcenturyservices！
Howdoesshedoherwork——that’sthemainquestion。"
"Ineversawanyonedoitbetter，orquicker，oreasier。Thatis，I
thoughtitwaseasytillshebroughtmethispaper。Justreadaboutherwork，andyou’llfeelasifweoughttopayherallyoursalary。"
Mr。Porneread：
"Laborperformed，averagetenhoursaday，asfollows：Preparationoffoodmaterials，careoffires，cooking，tableservice，andcleaningofdishes，utensils，towels，stove，etc。，permeal——breakfasttwohours，dinnerthreehours，supperorlunchonehour——sixhoursperdayforfoodservice。Dailychamberworkanddusting，etc。，oneandone—halfhoursperday。Weeklycleaningforhouseofninerooms，withhalls，stairs，closets，porches，steps，walks，etc。，sweeping，dusting，washingwindows，mopping，scouring，etc。，averagingtwohoursperday。Doorservice，waitingontradesmen，andextrasone—halfhourperday。Totaltenhoursperday。"
"Thatsoundswell。Doesittakethatmuchtimeeveryday？"
"Yes，indeed！Itwouldtakemetwenty！"sheanswered。"YouknowtheweekIwasherealoneIneverdidhalfshedoes。OfcourseIhadBaby，butthenIdidn’tdothethings。Iguesswhenitdoesn’ttakesolongtheyjustdon’tdowhatoughttobedone。Forsheisquick，awfullyquickaboutherwork。Andshe’sthorough。Isupposeitoughttobedonethatway——butIneverhadonebefore。"
"Shekeepsmightyfreshandbright—lookingaftertheseherculeanlabors。"
"Yes，butthensherests！Hertenhoursarefromsix—thirtya。m。，whenshegoesintothekitchenasregularlyasacuckooclock，toeight—thirtyp。m。whensheisallthroughandherkitchenlookslikea——wellit’sascleanandorderlyasifnoonewaseverinit。"
"Tenhours——that’sfourteen。"
"Iknowit，butshetakesoutfour。Sheclaimstimetoeathermeals。"
"Preposterous！"
"Halfanhourapiece，andhalfanhourinthemorningtorest——andtwointheafternoon。Anywaysheisout，twohourseveryafternoon，ridingintheelectriccars！"
"Thatdon’tlooklikeaveryhardjob。Herdaylaborerdoesn’tgettwohoursoffeveryafternoontotakeexcursionsintothecountry！"
"No，Iknowthat，buthedoesn’tbeginsoearly，norstopsolate。Shedoeshersquaretenhourswork，andIsupposeonehasarighttotimeoff。"
"Youseemdubiousaboutthat，mydear。"
"Yes，that’sjustwhereit’sawkward。I’musedtogirlsbeinginallthetime，exceptingtheirdayout。YouseeIcan’tleavebaby，noralwaystakehim——anditinterfereswithmyfreedomafternoons。"
"Well——can’tyouarrangewithhersomehow？"
"Seeifyoucan。Shesaysshewillonlygivetenhoursoftimeforadollarandahalfaday——tisn’tbutfifteencentsanhour——Ihavetopayawomantwentythatcomesin。Andifsheistogiveupherchanceofsunlightandfreshairshewantsmetopayherextra——bythehour。Orshesays，ifIprefer，shewouldtakefourhourseveryotherday——andsobeathomehalfthetime。Isaiditwasdifficulttoarrange——withbaby，andshewasverysympatheticandnice，butshewon’talterherplans。"
"Lethergo，andgetalessexactingservant。"
"But——shedoesherworksowell！Anditsavesalot，really。Sheknowsallaboutmarketingandthings，andplansthemealssoastohavethingslap，andit’sacomforttohaveherinthehouseandfeelsosafeandsureeverythingwillbedoneright。"
"Well，it’syourprovince，mydear。Idon’tprofesstoadvise。ButI
assureyouIappreciatethetable，andthecleannessofeverything，andtherestedlookinyoureyes，deargirl！"
Sheslippedherhandintohisaffectionately。"Itdoesmakeadifference，"shesaid。"I_could_getagirlfor$20。00andsavenearly$2。60aweek——butyouknowwhattheyare！"
"Idoindeed，"headmittedfervently。"It’sworththemoneytohavethisthingdonesowell。Ithinkshe’srightaboutthewages。Betterkeepher。"
"O——she’llonlyagreetostaysixmonthsevenatthisrate！"
"Well——keephersixmonthsandbethankful。Ithoughtshewastoogoodtolast！"
Theylookedovertheofferedcontractagain。Itclosedwith：
"Thisagreementtoholdforsixmonthsfromdateifmutuallysatisfactory。Incaseofdisagreementtwoweeks’noticeistobegivenoneitherside，ortwoweeks’wagesifpreferredbytheemployer。"Itwasdated，andsigned"MissD。C。Bell。"
Andwithinwardamusementandgreatdisplayofpenmanshiptheyadded"Mrs。IsabelJ。Porne，"andthecontractwasmade。
WHATDIANTHADID
CHAPTERVI。
THECYNOSURE。
It’sasingularthingthatthecommonestplaceIsthehardesttoproperlyfill;
ThatthelaborimposedonafullhalftheraceIssoseldomperformedwithgoodwill——
Tosaynothingofknowledgeorskill！
Whatweaskofallwomen，westareatinone，Andtributeofwondermentbring;
IfthistaskofthemillionisoncefitlydoneWeallholdourhandsupandsing！
It’sreallyasingularthing！
IsabelPornewasacautiouswoman，andmadenoacclaimoverhernewacquisitionuntilitsvaluewasproven。Herhusbandalsobidedhistime;andwhencongratulatedonhisimprovedappearanceandairofcontentment，merelyvouchsafedthathiswifehadanewgirlwhocouldcook。
Tohimselfheboastedthathehadanewwifewhocouldlove——socheerfulandgaygrewMrs。Porneinthechangedatmosphereofherhome。
"Itisremarkable，Edgar，"shesaid，dilatingrepeatedlyonthepeculiarqualityoftheirgoodfortune。"It’snotonlygoodcooking，andgoodwaiting，andacleanhouse——cleanerthanIeversawonebefore;andit’snotonlythequietness，andregularityandeconomy——whythebillshavegonedownmorethanathird！"
"Yes——evenInoticedthat，"heagreed。
"ButwhatIenjoythemostisthe_atmosphere，_"shecontinued。"WhenI
havetodothework，thehouseisaperfectnightmaretome！"Sheleanedforwardfromherlowstool，herelbowsonherknees，herchininherhands，andregardedhimintently。
"Edgar！YouknowIloveyou。AndIlovemybaby——I’mnounfeelingmonster！ButIcantellyoufranklythatifI’dhadanyideaofwhathouseworkwaslikeI’dneverhavegivenuparchitecturetotryit。"
"Luckyformeyouhadn’t！"saidhefondly。"Iknowit’sbeenhardforyou，littlegirl。Inevermeantthatyoushouldgiveuparchitecture——that’sabusinessawomancouldcarryonathomeI
thought，thedesigningpartanyway。There’syour’drawing—room’andallyourthings——"
"Yes，"shesaid，withreminiscentbitterness，"theretheyare——andtheretheymighthavestayed，untouched——ifMissBellhadn’tcome！"
"Makesyoucallher"MissBell"allthetime，doesshe？"
Mrs。Pornelaughed。"Yes。Ihateditatfirst，butsheaskedifI
couldgiveheranyrealreasonwhythecookshouldbecalledbyherfirstnamemorethantheseamstressorgoverness。Itriedtosaythatitwasshorter，butshesmiledandsaidthatinthiscaseitwaslonger！——HernameisDiantha——I’veseenitonletters。Anditisonesyllablelonger。AnyhowI’vegotusedtoMissBellnow。"
"Shegetslettersoften？"
"Yes——veryoften——fromTopolayawhereshecamefrom。I’mafraidshe’sengaged。"Mrs。Pornesighedruefully。
"Idon’tdoubtit！"saidMr。Porne。"Thatwouldaccountforhersixmonths’arrangement！Well，mydear——makehaywhilethesunshines！"
"Ido！"sheboasted。"Wholestacks！I’vehadaseamstressin，andgotallmyclothesinorderandthebaby’s。We’vehadlotofdinner—partiesandteasasyouknow——allmy"socialobligations"areclearedoff！
We’vehadyourmotherforavisit，andmine’scomingnow——andIwasn’tafraidtohaveeitherofthem！There’snofaulttobefoundwithmyhousekeepingnow！Andtherearetwothingsbetterthanthat——yes，three。"
"Thebestthingistoseeyoulooksoyoungandhandsomeandhappyagain，"saidherhusband，withakiss。
"Yes——that’sone。AnotheristhatnowIfeelsoeasyandlightheartedI
canloveyouandbaby——as——asI_do！_OnlywhenI’mtiredanddiscouragedIcan’tputmyhandonitsomehow。
Henoddedsympathetically。"Iknow，dear，"hesaid。"Ifeelthatwaymyself——sometimes。What’stheother？"
"Whythat’sbestofaIl！"shecriedtriumphantly。"IcanWorkagain！
WhenBaby’sasleepIgethoursatatime;andevenwhenhe’sawakeI’vefixedaplacewherehecanplay——andIcandrawandplan——justasIusedto——_better_thanIusedto！"
"Andthatisevenmoretoyouthanloving？"heaskedinaquietinquiringvoice。
"It’smorebecauseitmeans_both！_"Sheleanedtohim，glowing，"Don’tyousee？FirstIhadtheworkandlovedit。Thenyoucame——andIlovedyou——better！ThenBabycameandIlovedhim——best？Idon’tknow——youandbabyareallonesomehow。"
Therewasabriefinterimandthenshedrewback，blushingrichly。"Nowstop——Iwanttoexplain。Whenthehouseworkgottobesuchanightmare——andIlookedforwardtoawholelifetimeofitand_no_
improvement;thenIjust_ached_formywork——andcouldn’tdoit！Andthen——whysometimesdear，Ijustwantedtorunaway！Actually！From_both_ofyou！——yousee，Ispentfiveyearsstudying——Iwasa_real_
architect——anditdidhurttoseeitgo。Andnow——OnowI’vegotItandYoutoo，darling！_And_theBaby！——OI’msohappy！"
"ThankstotheProvidentialMissBell，"saidhe。"Ifshe’llstayI’llpayheranything！"
Themonthswentby。
Peace，order，comfort，cleanlinessandeconomyreignedinthePornehousehold，andtheladyofthehouseblossomedintoricherbeautyandhappiness;hercontentmentmarredonlybyasenseofflyingtime。
MissBellfulfilledhercarefullyspecifiedengagementtotheletter;
restedherpeacefulhourinthemorning;walkedandrodeintheafternoon;familiarizedherselfwiththelengthandbreadthofthetown;
andvisitedcontinuouslyamongtheservantsoftheneighborhood，establishingalargeandfriendlyacquaintance。Ifsheworerubberglovesabouttheroughwork，shepaidforthemherself;andshewashedandironedhersimpleandprettycostumesherself——withtheresultthattheystayedprettyforsurprisingperiods。
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