d Katy only hearing of her through Juno
and Bell, the first of whom went into raptures over her, while the
latter styled her a silly, coquettish widow, who would appear much
better to have worn her weeds a little longer, and not throw herself
quite so soon into the market. That she should of course meet her some
time, Katy knew, but she would not distress herself till the time
arrived, and so she dismissed her fears, or rather lost them in the
excitement of her new dignity as mistress of a house.

In her girlhood Katy had evinced a taste for housekeeping, which now
developed so rapidly that she won the respect of all the servants, from
the man who answered the bell to the accomplished cook, hired by Mrs.
Cameron, and who, like most accomplished cooks, was sharp and cross and
opinionated, but who did not find it easy to scold the blithe little
woman who every morning came flitting into her dominions, not asking
what they would have for dinner, as she had been led to suppose she
would, but ordering it with a matter of course air, which amused the
usually overbearing Mrs. Phillips. But when the little lady, rolling her
sleeves above her dimpled elbows and donning the clean white apron which
Phillips was reserving for afternoon, announced her intention of
surprising Wilford, who was very particular about dessert, with a
pudding such as Aunt Betsy used to make, there were signs of rebellion,
Phillips telling her bluntly that she couldn't be bothered--that it was
not a lady's place in the kitchen under foot--that the other Mrs.
Cameron never did it, and would not like it in Mrs. Wilford.

For a moment Katy paused and looked straight at Mrs. Phillips; then
without a word of reply to that worthy's remarks, said, quietly: "I have
only six eggs here--the receipt is ten. Bring me four more, please."

There was something in the blue eyes which compelled obedience, and the
dessert progressed without another word of remonstrance. But when the
door bell rang, and word came down that there were ladies in the
parlor--Juno with some one else--Phillips would not tell her of the
flour on her hair; and as Katy, after casting aside her apron and
putting down her sleeves, only glanced hastily at herself in the hall
mirror as she passed it, she appeared in the parlor with this mark upon
her curls, and greatly to her astonishment was presented to "Mrs. Sybil
Grandon," Juno explaining, that as Sybil was very anxious to see her,
and they were p