n' kindlin' an' runnin' errands; an' the husband,
he's dead, an' that's a good sight better, Miss Miriam, than havin' him
hangin' round, eatin' his meals here, an' bein' no use, 'cause he had
rheumatism all over him, 'cept on his appetite."

This suggestion pleased Miriam; here was a chance for another old
family servant.

"I think I should like to have your sister, Mike," she said; "what is her
name? Is she working for anybody now?"

"Her name is Seraphina--Seraphina Paddock. Paddock was his name. She's
keepin' house now, an' takin' in washin', down to Bridgeport. I reckon
she's like to come here an' live, mighty well."

"I wish you'd tell her to come and see me," said Miriam. "I think it
would be a very good thing for us to have a colored cook."

"Mighty good thing. There ain't nothin' better than a colored cook; but
jus' let me tell you, Miss Miriam, my sister's mighty particular 'bout
goin' to places an' takin' her family, an' furniture, an' settin' herself
up to live when she don't know whether things is fixed an' settled
there, or whether the fust thing she knows is she's got to pull up stakes
an' git out agin."

"I am sure everything is fixed and settled here," said Miriam, in
surprise.

"Well, now look a here, Miss Miriam," said Mike, "'spose you was clean
growed up, an' you're near that now, as anybody can see, an' you was
goin' to git married to somebody, or 'spose Mr. Haverley was goin' to
git married to somebody, why don' you see you'd go way with your
husband, an' your brother he'd come here with his new wife, an'
everything would be turned over an' sot upside down, an' then Seraphina,
she'd have to git up an' git, for there'd sure to be a new kin' of cook
wanted or else none, an' Seraphina, she'd fin' her house down to
Bridgeport rented to somebody who had gone way without payin' the rent,
an' had been splittin' kindlin' on the front steps an' hacking 'em all
up, and white-washin' the kitchen what she papered last winter to hide
the grease spots what they made through living like pigs, an' Seraphina,
she can't stand nothing like that."

Miriam burst out laughing.

"Mike," she cried, "nobody is going to get married here."

Mike's eyes glistened.

"That so, sure?" he said. "You see, Miss Miriam, you an' your brother is
both so 'tractive, that I sort o' 'sposed you might be thinkin' of
gittin' married, an' if that was so, I couldn't go to Seraphina, an' git
her to come here when things wasn't fi