s too hot; the thermometer is
boiling, down cellar, and Ralph said that I was so good natured that I'd
turn to grease if I got too heated, so I'm being careful, you see," said
Kat, with a lazy laugh; and she sat in the window and fanned, with the
duster in one hand and the egg-beater in the other.

"Well, I think the parlors look so pretty," said Kittie, with an air of
relief, as the last egg deposited its silvery white in the big platter.
"What an addition a piano is, and how nicely the curtains are done up;
everything seems to be going right."

"I smell the cake; it's burning!" cried Kat, jumping from her seat in a
hurry; but Kittie threw open the oven, and jerked out the precious
contents which did smell burnt, and was deep black right around one
edge.

"What a shame!" she cried regretfully; but Kat resumed her seat with the
comforting remark:

"Slice it over, and cover it up with icing; it will never show in the
world; you see, if I hadn't been in here, it would have been burnt up."

"I guess I've got a nose," retorted Kittie, beginning to beat eggs with
a swiftness that brought high color to her cheeks. "Now go on, Kat, and
fix the lamps and help Bea, for she mustn't be on her foot much."

"That's right, beat them just as stiff as possible before you put in
the sugar," said Mrs. Dering, coming in with her things on, to note the
progress, and leave orders. "Put it on with a large knife as smoothly as
possible, then set it down cellar. As to the coffee, you know about that
just as well as I do. The milk that is raising cream is on the back
swing-shelf, down cellar. That is all, isn't it?"

"Yes'm, and I guess we'll manage all right. Tell Mrs. Dane I'm sorry
she's sick. Good-bye."

"Everything looks beautiful, and I hope you'll have a pleasant time,
dears," was Mrs. Dering's next remark, as she glanced into the parlors
on her way out. "Don't tax your ankle too much, Bea, and Kat, try and
not have anything happen to you this time. I suppose I will be here
before they all go home, but if I am not, present my compliments and
regrets. A merry time to you all. Good-bye."

"There, how does that look?" asked Kat, balancing herself on the
step-ladder with a caution born of bitter experience, and looking
cock-eyed at the blooming basket she had just hung.

"Beautiful," answered Bea, with her head, in a big sweeping-cap, turned
admiringly side-ways. "Yes, that effect is lovely. I hope it will look
as pretty by lamp-