I left
England; and last and most important, an enormous American cooking
stove.

"Our principal meal, called dinner, is----"

Great heavens, her bread!

Nora dashed from her room. Gertie was standing at one of the windows in
the unwonted indulgence of a moment's leisure. Nora threw open the oven
door. It was empty.

"Oh, did you look after my loaf, Gertie? I'm so sorry; I quite forgot
it."

"Yes, I took it out a few moments ago."

She still had her face turned toward the window, so Nora did not see the
smile that curled her lip. She turned after a moment, and the two women
began to set the table for dinner.

Presently the men were heard laughing outside as they cleaned their
muddy boots on the scraper. Reggie had apparently achieved something
new. His ignorance of everything pertaining to farming furnished the
material for most of the amusement that was going. Fortunately, he was
always good-natured. Gertie, with unusual good spirits, entered into the
joke of the thing at once and even bantered Reggie playfully upon his
latest discovery.

Nora did not even hear what it was all about. She was searching for the
bread plate which always stood on the dresser.

"Why, Gertie, I----"

"It's all right," said Gertie, without looking up from pouring the tea.
"I took it. I'll get it in a minute. Come, sit down."

Nora obeyed.

Hornby was just about to begin his explanation for whatever it was he
had done, when Eddie interrupted him:

"Hold on a minute, Reg. I want some bread. I declare you two girls are
getting to be as bad as Reggie, here. Setting a table without bread!"

"I was keeping it for a surprise," said Gertie, getting up slowly. "I
want you to appreciate the fact that Nora helped me by doing the baking
this morning." Nora's face flushed with pleasure as her brother patted
her on the shoulder with evident approval. She looked at Gertie with
eyes shining with gratitude. At that moment she came nearer liking her
sister-in-law than she ever was to again.

Gertie went slowly across the room--she usually moved with nervous
quickness--and picking up the missing bread plate from where it was
leaning against the wall behind the stove went into the little pantry
that gave off the kitchen. Slowly she returned and stood beside her
husband's chair. On the plate, burned almost to a cinder, was the loaf
of bread that Nora had forgotten.

"Here it is," said Gertie. Her smile was cruel.

"Oh, I say, Gertie, that