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。