s a good deal of the time. We
all miss you so. I s'pose its real nice over at Mrs. Dayton's, but I
shall be so glad when you come back."

"No, I can't stay all night----"

"But the carriage went away----"

"'Reely, you come in and peel the potatoes. You ought to have had that
weeding done long ago. Oh, Helen," as the girl had turned around the
corner that led to the kitchen. "Well I declare! I began to think you
had grown so fine that the Center would never see you again!"

She looked Helen over from head to foot and gave a little sniff.

"Are you coming in?" rather tartly.

"Why--yes," forcing herself to smile.

How different from Joanna's tidy kitchen! It was clean but in confusion
with the odds and ends of everything. The green paper shade was all
askew, there were two chairs with the backs broken off, the kitchen
table was littered, the closet door was open and betrayed a huddle of
articles.

"You don't seem to be very sociable, I must say. Why didn't you come
over Saturday? Your uncle felt quite hurt about it. Seems to me you're
mighty taken up with those people," nodding her head northward.

"I couldn't on so short a notice. Mrs. Van Dorn had not been well. I
read her to sleep nearly every night. And there are so many little
things to do."

"Well, if she'd employ herself about something useful she wouldn't need
to be read to sleep, nor want so much waiting on."

"That is what I am hired to do," Helen returned with a good-natured
intonation that she kept from being flippant.

"Well, if I had ever so much money I couldn't find it in my conscience
to dawdle away time and have someone wait upon me. And how's Mrs.
Dayton? All the boarders staying?"

"Yes, the house is full."

"Mrs. Dayton does have the luck of things! But she hasn't a chick nor a
child, nor a husband and a lot of boys to mend for. I was foolish to let
you go over there, Helen, when I needed you so much myself. It isn't
even as if you were learning anything, just fiddling round waiting on a
woman who hasn't an earthly thing to do. And I'm so put about, I don't
know what to take up first. 'Reely, you hurry with the potatoes or
you'll get a good slap."

There was a diversion with Fan and Tommy who shook sand over the kitchen
floor. Fan's face was stained with berries but she flung her arms about
Helen and kissed her rapturously, while Tom dug his elbows into her
lap.

"Did you come in a horse and carriage?" asked Fan, wide-eyed.

"I