thy, "you're Sarah. I had almost given you up."

"Begging your parding, Miss," rejoined Mrs. Smithers in a chilly tone of
reproof, "but I take it it's better for us to begin callin' each other by
our proper names. If we should get friendly, there'd be ample time to
change. Your uncle, God rest 'is soul, allers called me 'Mis' Smithers.'"

Somewhat startled at first, Mrs. Carr quickly recovered her equanimity.
"Very well, Mrs. Smithers," she returned, lightly, reflecting that when in
Rome one must follow Roman customs; "Do you understand all branches of
general housework?"

"If I didn't, I wouldn't be makin' no attempts in that direction," replied
Mrs. Smithers, harshly. "I doesn't allow nobody to do wot I does no better
than wot I does it."

Dorothy smiled, for this was distinctly encouraging, from at least one
point of view.

"You wear a cap, I suppose?"

"Yes, mum, for dustin'. When I goes out I puts on my bonnet."

"Can you do plain cooking?" inquired Dorothy, hastily, perceiving that she
was treading upon dangerous ground.

"Yes, mum. The more plain it is the better all around. Your uncle was
never one to fill hisself with fancy dishes days and walk the floor with
'em nights, that's wot 'e wasn't."

"What wages do you have, Sa--Mrs. Smithers?"

"I worked for your uncle for a dollar and a half a week, bein' as we'd
knowed each other so long, and on account of 'im bein' easy to get along
with and never makin' no trouble, but I wouldn't work for no woman for
less 'n two dollars."

"That is satisfactory to me," returned Dorothy, trying to be dignified. "I
daresay we shall get on all right. Can you stay now?"

"If you've finished," said Mrs. Smithers, ignoring the question, "there's
a few things I'd like to ask. 'Ow did you get that bruise on your face?"

"I--I ran into something," answered Dorothy, unwillingly, and taken quite
by surprise.

"Wot was it," demanded Mrs. Smithers. "Your 'usband's fist?"

"No," replied Mrs. Carr, sternly, "it was a piece of furniture."

"I've never knowed furniture," observed Mrs. Smithers, doubtfully, "to get
up and 'it people in the face wot wasn't doin' nothink to it. If you
disturb a rockin'-chair at night w'en it's restin' quiet, you'll get your
ankle 'it, but I've never knowed no furniture to 'it people under the eye
unless it 'ad been threw, that's wot I ain't.

"I mind me of my youngest sister," Mrs. Smithers went on, her keen eyes
uncomfortably fixed upon Doroth