was about her neck, like the
hair of a little girl, a south window poured light upon her, the fruit
and honey upon the table seemed her only possible food.

"You look troubled, Lulu," Mrs. Plow said. "Is it about getting work?"

"No," said Lulu, "no. I've been places to ask--quite a lot of places. I
guess the bakery is going to let me make cake."

"I knew it would come to you," Mrs. Plow said, and Lulu thought that
this was a strange way to speak, when she herself had gone after the
cakes. But she kept on looking about the room. It was so bright and
quiet. As she came in, Mr. Plow had been reading from a book. Dwight
never read from a book at table.

"I wish----" said Lulu, as she looked at them. But she did not know what
she wished. Certainly it was for no moral excellence, for she perceived
none.

"What is it, Lulu?" Mr. Plow asked, and he was bright and quiet too,
Lulu thought.

"Well," said Lulu, "it's not much. But I wanted Jenny to tell me about
last night."

"Last night?"

"Yes. Would you----" Hesitation was her only way of apology. "Where did
you go?" She turned to Jenny.

Jenny looked up in her clear and ardent fashion: "We went across the
river and carried supper and then we came home."

"What time did you get home?"

"Oh, it was still light. Long before eight, it was."

Lulu hesitated and flushed, asked how long Di and Bobby had stayed there
at Jenny's; whereupon she heard that Di had to be home early on account
of Mr. Cornish, so that she and Bobby had not stayed at all. To which
Lulu said an "of course," but first she stared at Jenny and so impaired
the strength of her assent. Almost at once she rose to go.

"Nothing else?" said Mrs. Plow, catching that look of hers.

Lulu wanted to say: "My husband _was_ married before, just as he said he
was." But she said nothing more, and went home. There she put it to Di,
and with her terrible bluntness reviewed to Di the testimony.

"You were not with Jenny after eight o'clock. Where were you?" Lulu
spoke formally and her rehearsals were evident.

Di said: "When mamma comes home, I'll tell her."

With this Lulu had no idea how to deal, and merely looked at her
helplessly. Mrs. Bett, who was lacing her shoes, now said casually:

"No need to wait till then. Her and Bobby were out in the side yard
sitting in the hammock till all hours."

Di had no answer save her furious flush, and Mrs. Bett went on:

"Didn't I tell you? I knew it before the com