the better to study the plan.

"Yes; I see how that is," she said.

"Well, now," he continued, "these three parts of the house have each
got a door opening into this inside place--the dining-room door, and
the kitchen door, and the milk-house door. And right here beside the
dining-room door is a bench where Steve washes up, and a looking-glass.
And right on the other side of this door is where he hung her picture.
That's how it is that he hardly ever goes into the house at all and he
's got her picture right in there where he does his work. He cooks
some in Aunt Lucy's kitchen, and eats and sets here. Aunt Lucy has got
a new place to work."

"I understand perfectly well now what you meant, Mr. Hicks. It is
perfectly plain."

She had rather awkwardly accused him of getting his tale tangled; and
now that he suddenly brought the whole weight of this explanation to
bear upon the point at issue, she felt a new striking-in of her shame.
She hoped that if there was to be any further explanation it would not
be in this particular connection.

"Now," said Jonas, wetting his pencil and setting to work on the
interior of the house, "right here in the main house is a long
dining-room. And a hall runs from this dining-room right straight
through onto the front porch. You can set right here at the head of
the table and eat and see everything that is passing on the road. And
there is a cool draught right through. Off to the right of this hall
is the parlor."

Jonas wetted the pencil unusually and worked it busily in the corner of
the parlor till he had made a very black and shiny little square.
Janet leaned farther over to watch him.

"And this here," he announced, "is the piano."

Janet resumed her erect position.

"It is a very convenient house in some ways," she said. "It has
certain advantages for a warm climate."

"It 's all figured out," said Jonas.

He made a dot by holding the pencil straight down and twirling it
round. This was about the middle of the "inside place." Janet leaned
over and became interested again.

"Now," he continued, "suppose it is a rainy day. Right here in the
middle of this inside place is a chain pump. You don't have to go
outside for anything. Or suppose it is a hot day. And maybe there is
a big company dinner to get. You can set here by the lattice where it
is cool and breezy,--the Gulf breeze comes right in that place by the
milk-house,--and keep track of what's going o