and even after the nap she went around in a bemused state of
mental dizziness.

Life settled down once more in the House on Martin's Hill. James worked
with the machine himself and laid out lessons to guide Martha. Then,
finished for the day with education, James took to his typewriter while
Martha had her nap. It filled the days of the boy and girl completely.

This made an unexpected and pleasant change in Mrs. Bagley's routine. It
had been a job to keep Martha occupied. Now that Martha was busy, Mrs.
Bagley found time on her own hands; without interruption, her housework
routine was completed quite early in the afternoon.

Mrs. Bagley had never made any great point of getting dressed for dinner.
She accumulated a collection of house-frocks; printed cotton washables
differing somewhat in color and cut but functionally identical. She wore
them serially as they came from the row of hangers in her closet.

Now she began to acquire some dressier things, wearing them even during
her shopping trips.

James paid little attention to this change in his housekeeper's routine,
but he approved. Mrs. Bagley was also taking more pains with the 'do' of
her hair, but the boy's notice was not detailed enough to take a
part-by-section inventory of the whole. In fact, James gave the whole
matter very little thought until Mrs. Bagley made a second change after
her return from town, appearing for dinner in what James could only
classify as a party dress.

She asked, "James, do you mind if I go out this evening?"

James, startled, shrugged and said, "No, I guess not."

"You'll keep an ear out for Martha?"

The need for watching a sleeping girl of seven and a half did not
penetrate. "What's up?" he asked.

"It's been months since I saw a movie."

James shrugged again, puzzled. "You saw the 'Bride of Frankenstein' last
night on TV," he pointed out.

"I first saw that old horror when I was about your age," she told him
with a trace of disdain.

"I liked it."

"So did I at eight and a half. But tonight I'm going to see a _new_
picture."

"Okay," said James, wondering why anybody in their right mind would go
out on a chilly night late in November just to see a moving picture when
they could stay at home and watch one in comfort. "Have a good time."

He expected Mrs. Bagley to take off in her car, but she did not. She
waited until a brief _toot_! came from the road. Then, with a swirl of
motion, she left.

It took James Hol