ould be fun! All at our house this month, and all at
Aunt Mat's next month!"

"There's one serious objection to sharing a maid," Mrs. Salisbury
presently submitted; "she would tell the other family all your private
business."

"If they chose to pump her, she might," Alexandra said, with
unintentional rebuke, and Mr. Salisbury added amusedly:

"No, no, no, Mother! That's an exploded theory. How much has Justine
told you of her last place?"

"But that's no proof she WOULDN'T, Kane," Mrs. Salisbury ended the talk
by rising from her chair, taking another nearer the reading lamp, and
opening a new magazine. "Justine is a sensible girl," she added, after
a moment. "I have always said that. When all the discussing and
theorizing in the world is done, it comes down to this: a servant in my
house shall do AS I SAY. I have told her that I dislike this ridiculous
club idea, and I expect to hear no more of the matter!"

There came a day in December when Mrs. Salisbury came home from the
Forum Club in mid-afternoon. Her face was a little pale as she entered
the house, her lips tightly set. It was a Thursday afternoon, and
Justine's kitchen was empty. Lettuce and peeled potatoes were growing
crisp in yellow bowls of ice water, breaded cutlets were in the ice
chest, a custard cooled in a north window.

Mrs. Salisbury walked rapidly through the lower rooms, came back to the
library, and sat down at her desk. A fire was laid in the wide,
comfortable fireplace, but she did not light it. She sat, hatted,
veiled and gloved, staring fixedly ahead of her for some moments. Then
she said aloud, in a firm but quiet voice: "Well, this positively ENDS
it!"

A delicate film of dust obscured the shining surface of the writing
table. Mrs. Salisbury's mouth curved into a cold smile when she saw it;
and again she spoke aloud.

"Thirty-seven dollars and fifty cents, indeed!" she said. "Ha!"

Nearly two hours later Alexandra rushed in. Alexandra looked her
prettiest; she was wearing new furs for the first time; her face was
radiantly fresh, under the sweep of her velvet hat. She found her
mother stretched comfortably on the library couch with a book. Mrs.
Salisbury smiled, and there was a certain placid triumph in her smile.

"Here you are, Mother!" Alexandra burst out joyously. "Mother, I've
just had the most extraordinary experience of my life!" She sat down
beside the couch, her eyes dancing, her cheeks two roses, and pushed
back her fur