household during the weeks following Mr.
Sherwood's death. It was a sorrowful time to live through, and a most
unpleasant memory to look back upon.

These were days of trial to Dexie. There was no one in the house that she
could turn to for sympathy, for Louie had returned home the week after the
funeral, and the house seemed desolate.

Mrs. Jarvis was called away by a case of sickness in another household, and
Gussie, finding herself free from all restraint, made so many unreasonable
demands on the patient and willing domestic that she refused to submit to
it longer, and left the house; consequently, the actual work of the
household, as well as the care and responsibility, rested on Dexie's
shoulders.

Mrs. Sherwood had not left her room since the day her husband was buried,
and her frequent hysterical attacks were very alarming to the rest of the
family. She seemed as fretful and helpless as a child, and quite as
unreasonable, almost blaming her husband for dying and leaving her alone in
the world.

When Dexie tried to draw her thoughts away from their sad bereavement, she
charged her daughter with being hard-hearted and unsympathizing in the
extreme, and it seemed as if she did not wish to be comforted.

Lawyer Hackett attended the funeral, but as Mrs. Sherwood was not able to
discuss business matters at that unhappy time, he promised to return later
on and explain all things necessary.

Dexie awaited his return with much anxiety, for the expenses of the
funeral, together with their necessary mourning, left little ready money to
meet the daily expenses, and it was only by the strictest economy that she
managed at all. Her "scrimping," as Gussie called it, met with no favor
from anyone; and though Mrs. Sherwood talked of "ordering" this and that
from the store, Dexie positively refused to be the mouthpiece of the order.
They could do very well till Mr. Hackett arrived, she said.

Dexie missed her father sorely, and the one bright spot in the long,
toilsome day was when Guy came in the evening. Then they would walk out
together through the quiet streets to the country beyond, and she always
returned refreshed and strengthened to bear the burden of another day.

As yet they had made no definite plans for their future. Dexie wished to
see the household matters settled in a more satisfactory state before
attempting anything that would benefit her own condition.

When the lawyer had explained to her mother the bu