igued
as she had often felt after a day's lounging with a novel. Her husband
thought it only a new whim; but as it was not expensive one, he could
not remonstrate. When he wanted to take her driving, she playfully told
him she was learning to walk--horses made her nervous.

The first step, she thought; now for the next. It came to her almost by
magic. In a little rear hall-room sat Margaret Dewees, clicking away at
her typewriter. A strong, clear-headed girl who had maintained herself
these ten years, and had put by her savings. She was soon to be married
to a stalwart young farmer, the lover of her early youth. They had been
working and waiting. From the first she took an interest in the young
wife, and it was given to her energy and common sense to help a
suffering sister. Together they plotted and planned. Eleanor's lassitude
gradually passed away under vigorous rubbing and brisk walks.

Margaret's trousseau was a thing to be considered. From Mrs. Woodruff's
surplus stock of stylish gowns and garments the country girl's outfit
was deftly concocted. The young wife could sew neatly and rapidly. When
all was ready the sum of two hundred dollars lay in her writing desk.
Her grand piano, too large for the new quarters, was removed from
storage to a dealer's, and was sold for three hundred more. She wrote at
once to an uncle in a Western city; told him of her little efforts, and
asked what she might do with her mite. He was a real estate man and
promptly invested it in a lot in the rising town of Duluth.

In exchange for her services as seamstress, Margaret taught Eleanor the
use of the typewriter. When she was married she left the instrument, for
the summer months, in Eleanor's care. A nominal rent was agreed upon,
and this was easy to pay, as Margaret's engagements were transferred to
the new operator, while she, herself, attended to chickens and cows, and
her six feet of husband.

Eleanor's spirit of enterprise did not stop here. She obtained pupils on
the type-writer machine at five dollars each. She shipped a lot of old
party dresses, crushed and out of style, to the costumer's on B----
street, and saved the proceeds. Every time her husband handed over her
allowance of pin money, she put at least half of it in her "strong box."

It was hard to hide all this activity and cheerfulness from him, but
she did. With her woman's enjoyment of a little mystery, and her high
resolve to show herself worthy of him, she kept i