a very loud voice, and Mrs. White could not hush
her, that she would see Mrs. H. Boardman Jameson in Gibraltar first;
and she was so indignant because Mrs. White began to put kindlings
into the stove that she stalked off into the other room. Mrs. White
begged me to follow her and try to keep her quiet, but I was so
indignant myself that I was almost tempted to wish she would speak
out her mind. I ran out and filled the tea-kettle, telling Mrs. White
that I guessed Flora wouldn't say anything, and we started the fire.

It was a quarter of seven before the water was hot, and we asked the
ladies to walk out to supper. Luckily, the gentlemen were not coming
that night. It was haying-time, and we had decided, since we held the
meeting principally because of the extra work, that we would not have
them. We often think that the younger women don't do as much work
when the gentlemen are coming; they are upstairs so long curling
their hair and prinking.

I wondered if Flora Clark had said anything. I heard afterward that
she had not, but I saw at once that she was endeavoring to wreak a
little revenge upon Mrs. Jameson. By a series of very skilfull and
scarcely perceptible manoeuvres she gently impelled Mrs. Jameson,
without her being aware of it, into the seat directly in front of the
stove. I knew it was not befitting my age and Christian character,
but I was glad to see her there. The heat that night was something
terrific, and the fire in the stove, although we had made no more
than we could help, had increased it decidedly. I thought that Mrs.
Jameson, between the stove at her back and the hot water in her
health food, would have her just deserts. It did seem as if she must
be some degrees warmer than any of the rest of us.

However, who thought to inflict just deserts upon her reckoned
without Mrs. H. Boardman Jameson. She began stirring the health food,
which she had brought, in her cup of hot water; but suddenly she
looked around, saw the stove at her back, and sweetly asked Mrs.
White if she could not have another seat, as the heat was very apt to
affect her head.

It was Harriet, after all, upon whom the punishment for her mother's
thoughtlessness fell. She jumped up at once, and eagerly volunteered
to change seats with her.

"Indeed, my place is quite cool, mamma," she said. So Mrs. Jameson
and her daughter exchanged places; and I did not dare look at Flora
Clark.

Though the kitchen was so hot, I think we all