tly
at the beginning of each month, Mrs. Middleton owed practically every
establishment in the place accounts that dated far back. At this time
the small sums she could pay on account when her funds came in were
insufficient to satisfy any one, and one and another began to threaten
Kate with going to Mr. Middleton and demanding a settlement. They
declared it wasn't respectable for him to be giving away so much money
when he owed probably more than a year's salary.

Kate's only recourse was to her mistress, who would be temporarily
depressed, now and then to the point of tears. But shortly she either
forgot all about it or postponed consideration until another month; and
meantime she never parted with her last penny: she always kept enough
on hand for an ample supply of novels, chocolate drops, and
headache-powders, the latter being especially expensive, according to
Kate.

Ignorant as Elsie was, it did not take her long to understand that the
household was managed--or allowed to run on--with the utmost
extravagance and waste. She had prevailed upon Kate to set the greater
part of the big house in order and to keep it tidy, and she tried to
induce her to be less wasteful and reckless. But the girl was
developing a certain sense of justice, and she rather doubted her right
to insist. Devoted as Kate was to Mr. Middleton, and attached, in an
apologetic, shame-faced way, to her mistress, overworked and unpaid,
save for the sums Elsie forced upon her, how could she demand that Kate
be more scrupulous about details? It would seem that she had all she
could carry without that.

The girl fell asleep at last, and woke next morning with the pleasant
reflection that she was to begin to-day at the library as a regular
salaried assistant. Second thought was still more cheering. As soon
as the minister was out of the house, and she heard Kate go down-stairs
from Mrs. Middleton's room, she betook herself to the disorderly
kitchen. At her entrance Kate rose suddenly and went and peered
anxiously into the oven--which was empty. Elsie would have liked to
tell her that she didn't begrudge her those stolen moments for resting
her tired feet, but she hadn't yet learned to express her new
sensations. It was sufficiently difficult to explain her errand.

"Katy, here are your wages for last week," she said rather brusquely,
trying to press the money into her hands. "Mrs. Middleton will--I hope
she'll pay you in full very soon