ait a moment until I open all the windows to air this kitchen
well, Mrs. Dr. dear. There, that is better. And I must wash my hands,
too, because I shook hands with Whiskers-on-the-moon when he came
in--not that I wanted to, but when he stuck out his fat, oily hand I
did not know just what else to do at the moment. I had just finished my
afternoon cleaning and thanks be, everything was shining and spotless;
and thought I 'now that dye is boiling and I will get my rug rags and
have them nicely out of the way before supper.'

"Just then a shadow fell over the floor and looking up I saw
Whiskers-on-the-moon, standing in the doorway, dressed up and looking
as if he had just been starched and ironed. I shook hands with him, as
aforesaid, Mrs. Dr. dear, and told him you and the doctor were both
away. But he said,

"I have come to see you, Miss Baker.'

"I asked him to sit down, for the sake of my own manners, and then I
stood there right in the middle of the floor and gazed at him as
contemptuously as I could. In spite of his brazen assurance this seemed
to rattle him a little; but he began trying to look sentimental at me
out of his little piggy eyes, and all at once an awful suspicion
flashed into my mind. Something told me, Mrs. Dr. dear, that I was
about to receive my first proposal. I have always thought that I would
like to have just one offer of marriage to reject, so that I might be
able to look other women in the face, but you will not hear me bragging
of this. I consider it an insult and if I could have thought of any way
of preventing it I would. But just then, Mrs. Dr. dear, you will see I
was at a disadvantage, being taken so completely by surprise. Some men,
I am told, consider a little preliminary courting the proper thing
before a proposal, if only to give fair warning of their intentions;
but Whiskers-on-the-moon probably thought it was any port in a storm
for me and that I would jump at him. Well, he is undeceived--yes, he is
undeceived, Mrs. Dr. dear. I wonder if he has stopped running yet."

"I understand that you don't feel flattered, Susan. But couldn't you
have refused him a little more delicately than by chasing him off the
premises in such a fashion?"

"Well, maybe I might have, Mrs. Dr. dear, and I intended to, but one
remark he made aggravated me beyond my powers of endurance. If it had
not been for that I would not have chased him with my dye-pot. I will
tell you the whole interview. Whiskers s