was walking down Piute Street on her way to call on Alice Blanchard, when
her attention was attracted to a small, shut-up house, on which was a
sign: "No. 13. To Let, Furnished." The sign was not printed, but written
on a half-sheet of foolscap, which was what led Clover to notice it.

She studied the house a while, then opened the gate, and went in. Two or
three steps led to a little piazza. She seated herself on the top step,
and tried to peep in at the closed blinds of the nearest window.

While she was doing so, a woman with a shawl over her head came hastily
down a narrow side street or alley, and approached her.

"Oh, did you want the key?" she said.

"The key?" replied Clover, surprised; "of this house, do you mean?"

"Yes. Mis Starkey left it with me when she went away, because, she said,
it was handy, and I could give it to anybody who wished to look at the
place. You're the first that has come; so when I see you setting here, I
just ran over. Did Mr. Beloit send you?"

"No; nobody sent me. Is it Mr. Beloit who has the letting of the house?"

"Yes; but I can let folks in. I told Mis Starkey I'd air and dust a little
now and then, if it wasn't took. Poor soul! she was anxious enough about
it; and it all had to be done on a sudden, and she in such a heap of
trouble that she didn't know which way to turn. It was just lock-up and
go!"

"Tell me about her," said Clover, making room on the step for the woman to
sit down.

"Well, she come out last year with her man, who had lung trouble, and he
wasn't no better at first, and then he seemed to pick up for a while; and
they took this house and fixed themselves to stay for a year, at least.
They made it real nice, too, and slicked up considerable. Mis Starkey
said, said she, 'I don't want to spend no more money on it than I can
help, but Mr. Starkey must be made comfortable,' says she, them was her
very words. He used to set out on this stoop all day long in the summer,
and she alongside him, except when she had to be indoors doing the work.
She didn't keep no regular help. I did the washing for her, and come in
now and then for a day to clean; so she managed very well.

"Then,--Wednesday before last, it was,--he had a bleeding, and sank away
like all in a minute, and was gone before the doctor could be had. Mis
Starkey was all stunned like with the shock of it; and before she had got
her mind cleared up so's to order about anything, come a telegraph to say
her