iver again, and brought them at last to the Wachaug
Mills and the little factory settlement around them.

"This is Mrs. Pranker's," said the doctor, stopping at the third door in
a block of factory houses, "and it's a sister-in-law of hers who wants
to 'hire out.' I've a patient in the next row, and if you like, I'll
leave you here a few minutes."

Faith's foot was instantly on the chaise step, and she sprang to the
ground with only an acknowledging touch of the good doctor's hand,
upheld to aid her.

A white-haired boy of three, making gravel puddings in a scalloped tin
dish at the door, scrambled up as she approached, upset his pudding, and
sidled up the steps in a scared fashion, with a finger in his mouth, and
his round gray eyes sending apprehensive peeps at her through the linty
locks.

"Well, tow-head!" ejaculated an energetic female voice within, to an
accompaniment of swashing water, and a scrape of a bucket along the
floor; "what's wanting now? Can't you stay put, nohow?"

An unintelligible jargon of baby chatter followed, which seemed,
however, to have conveyed an idea to the mother's mind, for she
appeared immediately in the passage, drying her wet arms upon her apron.

"Mrs. Pranker?" asked Faith.

"That's my name," replied the woman, as who should say, peremptorily,
"what then?"

"I was told--my mother heard--that a sister of yours was looking for a
place."

"She hain't done much about _lookin'_," was the reply, "but she was
sayin' she didn't know but what she'd hire out for a spell, if anybody
wanted her. She's in the keepin' room. You can come in and speak to her,
if you're a mind to. The kitchen floor's wet. I'm jest a-washin' of it.
You little sperrit!" This to the child, who was amusing himself with the
floor cloth which he had fished out of the bucket, and held up,
dripping, letting a stream of dirty water run down the front of his red
calico frock. "If children ain't the biggest torments! Talk about Job!
His wife had to have more patience than he did, I'll be bound! And
patience ain't any use, either! The more you have, the more you're took
advantage of! I declare and testify, it makes me as cross as sin, jest
to think how good-natured I be!" And with this, she snatched the cloth
from the boy's hands, shook first him and then his frock, to get rid, in
so far as a shake might accomplish it, of original depravity and sandy
soapsuds, and carried him, vociferant, to the door, where she set hi