ead.

"Mrs. Fields," said he, "I wish you would find it necessary to-morrow
morning to run in at that door over there"--he indicated the little back
porch of the Birch house--"and borrow something."

Mrs. Fields eyed him as if she thought he had taken leave of his senses.
"Me--borrow?" she said. "Doctor Andrew--are you----"

"No, I'm not crazy," the doctor assured her, smiling. "I know it's
tremendously against your principles, but never mind the principles, for
once--since by ignoring them you can do a kindness. Run in and borrow a
cup of sugar or something, and get acquainted."

"Who with? That curly-haired girl with the red cheeks? She don't want my
acquaintance."

"She would be immensely grateful for it if it came about naturally. Take
over some of your jelly for Miss Birch, if that way suits you better,
but get to know Miss Charlotte, and show her a few things about cookery.
She's trying to do all the work for the whole family, and she knows very
little about it."

"I suspected as much. You haven't told me about 'em, and of course,
being a doctor's housekeeper, I'm too well trained to ask."

The doctor smiled, for Mrs. Fields had been housekeeper in his mother's
family in the days of his boyhood, and she felt it her right to tell
him, now and then, what she thought. She was immensely proud of her own
ability to hold her tongue and her curiosity in check.

"So I know only what I've seen. You told me the oldest girl had broke
her knee, and that's all you've said. But I see this girl a-hanging
dish-towels, and opening the kitchen door to let out the smoke each time
she's burned up a batch of something, and I guessed she wasn't what you
might call a graduate of one of those cooking-schools."

"You must be a bit tactful," warned the doctor. "The young lady is a
trifle sensitive, as is natural, over her inefficiency, but she's very
anxious to learn, and there's nobody to teach her. She is too
independent to go to the other neighbours, but I've an idea you could be
a friend to her."

"She looks pretty notional," Mrs. Fields said, doubtfully. "Shakes out
her dust-cloth with her chin in the air----"

"To avoid the dust."

"And pulls down the shades the minute the lamp is lighted----"

"So do you."

"I saw her lock the kitchen door in the face of that Mis' Carter the
other day, when she caught sight of her coming up the walk."

"See here, Fieldsy, you've been spying on your neighbours," said Doctor
Churchi