arting
for the kitchen, with her hands full of dishes, and scowling defiantly
at the stove, where the fire was sizzling with a lazy sputter, while the
dish-water taking advantage of the lull in heat, cooled at leisure.

"Pretty near as bad without Huldah," was Ernestine's comment. "I'm
nearly starved for a splendid good meal like we used to have, when we
could eat all we wanted, and didn't have to think how much it cost, or
worry with cooking it."

"You do less than anybody towards getting it," said Olive, coming
flushed and impatient from her vain search. "If Kat doesn't leave my
things alone, I'll--"

"Let not your angry passions rise," cried Kat, coming in with a rubber
whirling on each hand, and quoting her copy-book with cheerful disregard
for any one's anger. "Here's your rubbers, my dear, and I found them
right where I put them, on the end of our mantel-piece, where I put them
in plain sight so as not to forget to bring them down this morning, as
my prophetic soul felt a row in the air if they were not in sight at six
and a half, sharp."

"You talk like a lunatic," was Olive's sole response as she drew them
on.

"It's my only talent, dear," answered Kat cheerfully, beginning to work
on the table, where she made the dishes rattle.

Bea trailed slowly through the room with her broom and dust pan, and a
rather discontented face. Olive tied on her veil and hurried away to her
daily business; Ernestine went to practice a new piece 'till the first
scholar should arrive; and Kittie and Kat were left to the bliss of
dish-washing and kitchen work. So began the day.

This was several weeks after events last recorded, and all things in the
Dering household had changed much.

Jean had not gone to Virginia at once. Her wardrobe had needed complete
repairing, and during the time so occupied, Mr. Congreve spent much of
it in the city, sending therefrom various and beautiful things for Jean,
and a dress for each of the girls, doing so without permission, knowing,
that if asked, it would be refused him.

Kittie and Kat had been withdrawn from school, and studied at home with
the older girls. Their part of the work fell in the kitchen. With Mrs.
Dering and Huldah for teachers, they had studied the easier branches of
cooking, and the crooks and by-ways of that department of general work.
They proved apt and merry pupils, and learned their tasks quite readily,
so, that while the girls missed the wonderful dishes that Huld