kith or kin, without a history, and apparently without a memory.
Never sick, never absent, never a letter from friends, never a visit
away. The old habitues of the house liked her. She gave no sign of favor
or disfavor, till at last it was their way to respect her and leave her
alone. But whenever a mission of trust was needed Treesa was the one
called upon.

But as the calmest stream is ruffled at some time on its course, so
there comes to every human life a shock that upturns hidden forces. And
this came to Treesa. It was when she was one day summoned to the private
office downstairs: that dread tribunal for the wrongdoers of the large
household--a locality as little heeded by the girl as any other foreign
place, albeit there had been new and strange proprietors as the years
went by. Without so much as a ripple of excitement upon her homely
features, she came down and stood within the door, respectfully awaiting
orders. The two arbiters of her destiny were in close conference upon
ways and means. Expense must be cut down. There must be a weeding out.
Raising his head and looking in some curiosity at the queer apparition,
the new partner said: "Are you Teresa O'Toole?"

"Me name is that same, sir," she said, meeting the eyes. "An' what thin,
sir?" she added, as for a moment he was silent.

"Yes--ah--" he went on, this time not exactly confronting the expectant
face--"We've been thinking, Teresa--we were just saying--that you are
getting along in years now, and--ah--the fact is, we think you ought to
have a rest. Some one younger, and stronger, ought to relieve you, and
give you a chance to pick up. You are a good girl," with encouraging
justice, "a very good girl, and have been faithful and honest. But we--"
he hesitated, as Treesa's lean face suddenly darkened with an unwonted
flush. Then she broke out:

"An' is it me dischairge ye'd be afther givin' me, sir?"

"Well, yes, about that, it amounts to that, I suppose," admitted the
great man. "You see, my good woman," he ventured softly, noting the
breakers ahead, "the fact is--"

"Well, thin," she burst forth in righteous wrath, placing her hard, red
arms akimbo, and struggling to loose her tongue, "I'll be afther tellin'
yees, I'll not take a dischairge from yees, sir! It's here I've been
this fifty year, an' more. I was the first gurll in the house, for sure
I come before the likes of yees was born an' before yees iver darkened
the doors. It's no fault can be f