ns, the great front door
with the cool, deep hall beyond, the shady, vine-covered porch, and the
indolent figure on the steps, with dreamy, dark eyes, and hat idly
dropped, were but witcheries of the artist's brush and colors.

Something entirely averse to the idea of a painting, namely, a moving
figure, appeared at this moment, coming from the front door, and
bearing a small waiter with a glass of cool lemonade.

"Here's something to make your eyes shine!" cried a voice that made him
start up from his reverie in a hurry and look delighted.

"Kat! Is it possible? For me? Who made it?"

"I did, to be sure, all alone by myself."

"Where's the other glass?"

"Other? Patience! won't one glass do you?"

"No, but wait; I'll get it," and away he went, coming back in a moment
with an empty glass, into which he poured half the cool refreshing
contents.

"There! To be more social, you see. Now, mademoiselle, let's drink to
health, happiness, and everlasting peace and friendship between us, from
this moment henceforth. Shall we?"

"Yes," said Kat, with her brightest smile; so they clinked glasses and
drank merrily in the shady porch; then shook hands to strengthen the
contract, and made mutual resolves to smoke the pipe of peace forever.

Meantime Kittie, unconscious of the great reconciliation just being
sealed, was having a sorry time by herself out in the hot kitchen. The
icing wouldn't ice worth a cent, but persisted in being sloppy and
unmanageable; and the more she spatted and smoothed, the worse it
looked; and finally she called to Bea, in worn-out despair:

"I don't see what in the world is the matter with it," cried the
discouraged icer, setting forth her work with a sigh of exhausted
energy. "Do you see what's wrong?"

"You've iced it on the wrong side," said Bea, smothering her own
disappointment, out of consideration for Kittie's tired despair. "You
see the top always puffs and bakes out of shape, so the way to do is to
ice the bottom, so it will look smooth and nice."

"Yes, to be sure; what a goose I was not to think! I tried to make it
look even by filling the dents up, and they're all perfect little
puddles;" cried Kittie in heated disgust. "What shall we do, make
another one? Though I'd be afraid to try. I never made any kind but the
very plainest and that wouldn't do."

"No, I had rather have this. Put it down cellar in the very coolest
place, and I guess it will harden up all right," advised Bea