g steadily across the street. The object of her grave attention was
an ample brick house, newly painted white after repairs and enlargements
so inspiring to Jane's faculty for suggesting better ways of doing
things, that the workmen had learned to address her, with a slight
bitterness, as "Madam President."

Throughout the process of repair, and until the very last of the
painting, Jane had considered this house to be as much her property as
anybody's; for children regard as ownerless all vacant houses and all
houses in course of construction or radical alteration. Nothing short of
furniture--intimate furniture in considerable quantity--hints that the
public is not expected. However, such a hint, or warning, was conveyed
to Jane this morning, for two "express wagons" were standing at the curb
with their backs impolitely toward the brick house; and powerful-voiced
men went surging to and fro under fat arm-chairs, mahogany tables,
disarticulated bedsteads, and baskets of china and glassware; while a
harassed lady appeared in the outer doorway, from time to time, with
gestures of lamentation and entreaty. Upon the sidewalk, between the
wagons and the gate, was a broad wet spot, vaguely circular, with a
partial circumference of broken glass and extinct goldfish.

Jane was forced to conclude that the brick house did belong to somebody,
after all. Wherefore, she remained in her own yard, a steadfast
spectator, taking nourishment into her system at regular intervals.
This was beautifully automatic: in each hand she held a slice of bread,
freely plastered over with butter, apple sauce, and powdered sugar;
and when she had taken somewhat from the right hand, that hand slowly
descended with its burden, while, simultaneously, the left began to
rise, reaching the level of her mouth precisely at the moment when a
little wave passed down her neck, indicating that the route was clear.
Then, having made delivery, the left hand sank, while the right began to
rise again. And, so well had custom trained Jane's members, never once
did she glance toward either of these faithful hands or the food that
it supported; her gaze was all the while free to remain upon the house
across the way and the great doings before it.

After a while, something made her wide eyes grow wider almost to their
utmost. Nay, the event was of that importance her mechanical hands
ceased to move and stopped stock-still, the right half-way up, the left
half-way down,