the kids called me 'Fire Alarm,' 'cause my
hair was red. And the cook they had then called me 'Lonesome,' 'cause I
guess I looked that way. And the matron--not Miss Coffin, but the other
one--called me 'Maggie.' I didn't like that, so when Miss Coffin showed
up I told her I was Marguerite. But I'd rather be Imogene now, if you
ain't particular, ma'am."

"Why--um--well, I don't know's I am; only seems to me I'd settle on one
or t'other and stay put. What's your last name?"

"I ain't decided. Montgomery's a kind of nice name and so's St. John,
or Wolcott--there used to be a Governor Wolcott, you know. I s'pose, now
I'm out workin' for myself, I ought to have a last name. Maybe you can
pick one out for me, ma'am."

"Humph! Maybe I can. I've helped pick out first names for babies in my
time, but pickin' out a last name for anybody would be somethin' new,
I will give in. But I'll try, if you want me to. And you must try to do
what I want and to please me. Will you promise me that?"

"Lordy, yes'm!"

"Um! Well, you might begin by tryin' not to say 'Lordy' quite so many
times. That would please me, for a start."

"All right'm. I got in the habit of sayin' it, I guess. When I first
come to the Home I used to say, 'God sakes,' but the matron didn't like
that."

"Mercy on us! I don't wonder. Well--er--Imogene, now I'll show you the
house and your room and all. I hope you like 'em."

There was no doubt of the liking. Imogene was delighted with everything.
When she was shown the sunny attic bedroom which was to be hers she
clapped her hands.

"It's elegant, ma'am," she cried. "Just grand! OH! it's too splendid to
believe and yet there ain't any make-believe in it. Lordy! Excuse me,
ma'am, I forgot. I won't say it again. I'll wait and see what you say
and then I'll say that. And now," briskly, "I guess you think it's time
I was gettin' to work. All right, I can work if I ain't got no other
accomplishments. I'm all ready to begin."

As a worker she was a distinct success. There was not a lazy bone in her
energetic body. She was up and stirring each morning at five o'clock
and she evinced an eager willingness to learn that pleased Mrs. Barnes
greatly. Her knowledge of cookery was limited, and deadly, but as
Thankful had planned to do most of the cooking herself, for the
first season at least, this made little difference. Altogether the
proprietress of the High Cliff House was growing more and more sure that
her female "hi