outh and stood looking at me defiantly like a flushed and bright-eyed
school-girl.

"You think you're teasing me," she said; "but you do not realize what
a singularly slow-minded young man you are."

I stopped laughing. "How did you come to the conclusion that pies were
to be used for such a purpose?" I asked.

"I deduce," she observed, with an airy wave of her disengaged hand.

"Your deductions are weird--like everything else in this vicinity.
Pies to catch invisible monsters? Pooh!"

"You're not particularly complimentary, are you?" she said.

"Not particularly; but I could be, with you for my inspiration. I
could even be enthusiastic--"

"About my pies?"

"No--about your eyes."

"You are very frivolous--for a scientist," she said, scornfully;
"please subdue your enthusiasm and bring me some wood. This fire is
almost out."

When I had brought the wood, she presented me with a pail of hot water
and pointed at the dishes on the breakfast-table.

"Never!" I cried, revolted.

"Then I suppose I must do them--"

She looked pensively at her scorched finger-tip, and, pursing up her
red lips, blew a gentle breath to cool it.

"I'll do the dishes," I said.

Splashing and slushing the cups and saucers about in the hot water, I
reflected upon the events of the last few days. The dog, stupefied by
unwonted abundance of food, lay in the sunshine, sleeping the sleep of
repletion; the pretty stenographer, all rosy from her culinary
exertions, was removing the pies and setting them in neat rows to
cool.

"There," she said, with a sigh; "now I will dry the dishes for you....
You didn't mention the fact, when you engaged me, that I was also
expected to do general housework."

"I didn't engage you," I said, maliciously; "you engaged me, you
know."

She regarded me disdainfully, nose uptilted.

"How thoroughly disagreeable you can be!" she said. "Dry your own
dishes. I'm going for a stroll."

"May I join--"

"You may _not_! I shall go so far that you cannot possibly discover
me."

I watched her forestward progress; she sauntered for about thirty
yards along the lake and presently sat down in plain sight under a
huge live-oak.

A few moments later I had completed my task as general bottle-washer,
and I cast about for something to occupy me.

First I approached and politely caressed the satiated dog. He woke up,
regarded me with dully meditative eyes, yawned, and went to sleep
again. Never a flop of tail t