ita had astonished me more than I could possibly astonish her! Before
me sat my beautiful wife: the mistress of my great house in town, with
its butlers and footmen, its maids and its men, its horses, its
carriages, its grand company, and its stately hospitality; the lady of
my famous country estate, with more butlers and footmen and gardeners
and stewards and maids and men and stables and carriages and herds and
flocks, its house-parties of distinguished guests--here was this wife
of mine, so well known in so many fashionable centres; a social star
at home and abroad; a delicately reared being, always surrounded by
servitors of every grade, who had never found it necessary to stoop to
pick up so much as a handkerchief or a rosebud; and here was this
superfine lady of high degree, who had just announced to me that she
intended to cook our meals, to pare our potatoes, to wash our dishes,
and, probably, to sweep our floors. No wonder I opened my mouth.

"'I hope, now,' said Anita, putting her feet out in front of her to
keep herself from slipping off the horsehair sofa, 'that you thoroughly
understand. I do not want any assistance while we are in this cot. I
have sent away Maria, who has gone to visit her parents, and no woman in
service is to come on this place while I am here. I have been studying
hard with Mrs. Parker at the hotel, who seems to be an excellent
housekeeper and accustomed to homely fare, and I have learned how to
make and to cook a great many things which are simple and nutritious; I
have had appropriate dresses made, and Maria has gone to town and bought
me a great variety of household linen, all good and plain, for our
damask table-cloths would look perfectly ridiculous here. I have also
laid in a great many other things which you will see from time to
time.'"

"What a wonderful moment this would have been for a great slump in
stocks!" remarked the Master of the House. "Everything swept away but
the cot and the rill and the dear little wife with her coarse linen and
her determination to keep no servant. The husband of your Anita would
have been the luckiest fellow on Wall Street. If I were working on this
story I would have the blackest of Black Fridays just here."

"'Now, Harold,' said Anita, 'I do not in the least intend to impose upon
you. Because I choose to work is no reason why you should be compelled
to do so.'

"'I am glad to hear that,' said I.

"'I knew you would be,' continued Anita. 'B