, and say with a rising inflection and
lips that moved as little as possible,--"What wages, mum?" or
"What's the conveniences--or the privileges--mum?"

Bel Bree had got her arm round little Sinsie, who had crept up to
her side inquisitively; and Kate was making a funny face over her
shoulder at Marmaduke, alternately with the pleased attentive glance
she gave to his pretty young mother and her speaking.

"Yes'm," Bel answered. "We want places. We are sewing-girls. We have
lost our work by the fire, and we were getting tired of it before.
We have made up our minds to try families. We want a real place to
live, you see. And we want to go together, so as to make our own
place. We mightn't like things just as they happened, where there
was others."

Mrs. Scherman's own face lighted up afresh. This was something that
did not happen every day. She grew cordial with a pleased surprise.
"Do you think you could? Do you know about housework, about
cooking?"

"It's very good of you to put it in that way," said Kate Sencerbox.
"We just do know _about_ it, and perhaps that's all, at present. But
we're Yankees, and we _mean_ to know."

"And you would like to experiment with me?"

"Well, it wouldn't be altogether experiment, from the very
beginning," said Bel. "I'm sure I can make good bread, and tea, and
toast, and broil chickens or steaks; I can stew up sauces, I can do
oysters. I can make a _splendid_ huckleberry pudding! We had one
every Sunday all last August."

"Where?" asked Asenath, gravely.

"In our room; Aunt Blin and I. Aunt Blin died just after the fire,"
said Bel, simply.

Asenath's gravity grew sweeter and more real; the tremulous twinkle
quieted in her eyes.

"I don't know what to answer you, exactly," she said, presently.
"This is just what we housekeepers have been saying ought to happen:
and now that it does happen, I feel afraid of taking you in. It is
very odd; but the difficulties on your side begin to come to me. I
have no doubt that on my side it would be lovely. But have you
thought about this 'real place to live' that you want? what it would
have to be? Do you think you would be contented in a kitchen? And
the washing? Our washings are so large, with all these little
children!"

Yes, it was odd. Without waiting to be catechised, or resenting
beforehand the spirit of jealous inquiry, Asenath Scherman was
frankly putting it in the heads of these unused applicants that
there might be doubts as t