se! The annex I am thinking of is
quite different; and yet not altogether so, either. Walkirk, don't you
think that a man in my position could do a great deal to help those
sisters in their good work? Don't you think that he could act as an
outside collaborator? I am sure there are many things he could do which
might not be suitable for them to do, or which they might not want to
do. For instance, this business that has taken Mother Anastasia to
Washington. Perhaps it is something that she hates to do, and I might
have done as well as not. I have a mind to propose to her to go in and
take all this sort of thing off the hands of the sisters. I think that
is a good practical idea, and it is very natural that I should wish to
propose it to her at the very time she is engaged in this outside
business."

"In a word," remarked Walkirk, "you would make yourself a brother of the
House of Martha."

I laughed. "That is not a bad notion," I said; "in fact, it is a very
good one. I do not know that I shall put the matter exactly in that
light, but a brother of the House of Martha is what I should like to be.
Then I should be free to discuss all sorts of things, and to do all
sorts of things. And I could be of a lot of service, I am sure. But I
shall approach the matter cautiously. I shall begin with a simple offer
of service, and, perhaps, for the present I may drop the typewriting
plan. Now for Mother Anastasia's address. I must get that without
delay."

Walkirk did not seem to have paid attention to this last remark. His
mind appeared occupied with amusing reflections.

"I beg your pardon," he said, in apologizing for his abstraction, "but I
was thinking what a funny thing it would be to be a brother of the House
of Martha. As to the address--let me see. Do you remember that lady who
was staying with Mrs. Raynor, at her island, who called herself a
Person,--Miss Laniston?"

"Of course I remember her," I answered, "and with the greatest disgust."

"I happen to know her address," said Walkirk, "and I think she is more
likely to give you the information you want than Mrs. Raynor. If you do
not care to confer with her, I can go to the city"--

"No, no, no!" I exclaimed. "She might object to giving you the address;
I shall insist that she give it to me. I think I can manage the matter.
She owes me something, and she knows it."

In fact, I did not care to trust Walkirk with this affair. It was plain
that he did not thoroughly