kissed her good-by.

"No," said Sarah, very decidedly, "I've got some work to do, and I'd
rather be alone. Take care of yourself, David, and come home as soon as
you can."

She stood on the porch till David was out of sight and then walked back
to the kitchen where the two servants were dawdling and gossiping over
their breakfast.

"Nelly," she said, pointing to the kitchen clock and looking the maid
squarely in the face, "it's nearly nine o'clock and no cleaning done
yet. Go up-stairs and open the windows so the house'll have a good
airing, and then get the parlor in order first before company comes."
While the astonished Nelly obeyed orders, she turned to Bertha and gave
directions for the next meal. "You've got your kitchen in good order,"
she said approvingly, "and from now on you must keep it just this way."

"She's learnin' fast," said Nelly to Bertha an hour later, when they
came together for a whispered conference in the kitchen pantry.

"Believe me!" returned Bertha, "it won't be long before I'll be cookin'
six o'clock dinner instead of supper."

Sarah had ample time to work and think, for David was gone a week
instead of three days. Every morning she arose with certain plans in her
mind, and every night she lay down to sleep, calmly satisfied because
she had carried these plans to a successful completion. The forenoons
were spent in a careful superintendence of household affairs, and Nelly
and Bertha were made to feel the authority of a mistress whose ideas of
cleanliness and order were beyond any they had ever known. In the
afternoon she put on her brown suit and went out to walk, or to call on
the friendly people whose cards lay in the silver tray on her center
table. Her air at such times was one of grave determination, and even
David never knew with what fear and trembling and heart-sinking these
first social duties were performed. She was a pleasant-faced,
wholesome-looking woman; her dark, abundant hair was somewhat coarse,
but it waved naturally, and she arranged it well; her skin was not fine,
but it had a clear, healthy color, and her form was erect, in spite of
years of drudgery. Each day a careful observer might have found some
slight improvement in her dress and manner. Hitherto the putting on of
clothes had been to Sarah merely a part of her day's work, something to
be done with the utmost speed; but now she was learning to make a
toilette, varying the arrangement of her hair and observing t