her visits with ladylike
resignation. To-day, however, it seemed harder than usual to turn from
the blue sky and the blossoming magnolia to Mrs. Sampson's unsuggestive
face, and Mrs. Manstey was conscious of a distinct effort as she did so.

"The magnolia is out earlier than usual this year, Mrs. Sampson," she
remarked, yielding to a rare impulse, for she seldom alluded to the
absorbing interest of her life. In the first place it was a topic not
likely to appeal to her visitors and, besides, she lacked the power of
expression and could not have given utterance to her feelings had she
wished to.

"The what, Mrs. Manstey?" inquired the landlady, glancing about the room
as if to find there the explanation of Mrs. Manstey's statement.

"The magnolia in the next yard--in Mrs. Black's yard," Mrs. Manstey
repeated.

"Is it, indeed? I didn't know there was a magnolia there," said Mrs.
Sampson, carelessly. Mrs. Manstey looked at her; she did not know that
there was a magnolia in the next yard!

"By the way," Mrs. Sampson continued, "speaking of Mrs. Black reminds me
that the work on the extension is to begin next week."

"The what?" it was Mrs. Manstey's turn to ask.

"The extension," said Mrs. Sampson, nodding her head in the direction of
the ignored magnolia. "You knew, of course, that Mrs. Black was going to
build an extension to her house? Yes, ma'am. I hear it is to run right
back to the end of the yard. How she can afford to build an extension in
these hard times I don't see; but she always was crazy about building.
She used to keep a boarding-house in Seventeenth Street, and she nearly
ruined herself then by sticking out bow-windows and what not; I should
have thought that would have cured her of building, but I guess it's a
disease, like drink. Anyhow, the work is to begin on Monday."

Mrs. Manstey had grown pale. She always spoke slowly, so the landlady
did not heed the long pause which followed. At last Mrs. Manstey said:
"Do you know how high the extension will be?"

"That's the most absurd part of it. The extension is to be built right
up to the roof of the main building; now, did you ever?"

Mrs. Manstey paused again. "Won't it be a great annoyance to you, Mrs.
Sampson?" she asked.

"I should say it would. But there's no help for it; if people have got
a mind to build extensions there's no law to prevent 'em, that I'm aware
of." Mrs. Manstey, knowing this, was silent. "There is no help for it,"
Mrs. Sam