t thing on in July again," she said, "you can
use my head for a knock-maul. Nancy Ellen, can't you stop at a store
as you come out in the morning and get the goods, and you girls run me
up a dress that is nice enough to go out in, and not so hot it starts
me burning before my time?"

"Of course I can," said Nancy Ellen. "About what do you want to pay,
Mother?"

"Whatever it takes to get a decent and a cool dress; cool, mind you,"
said Mrs. Bates, "an' any colour but black."

"Why, Mother!" cried Nancy Ellen "it must be black!"

"No," said Mrs. Bates. "Pa kept me in black all my life on the
supposition it showed the dirt the least. There's nothing in that. It
shows dirt worse 'an white. I got my fill of black. You can get a nice
cool gray, if you want me to wear it."

"Well, I never!" said Nancy Ellen. "What will the neighbours say?"

"What do I care?" asked Mrs. Bates. "They've talked about me all my
life, I'd be kinda lonesome if they's to quit."

Dinner over, Kate proposed that her mother should lie down while they
washed the dishes.

"I would like a little rest," said Mrs. Bates. "I guess I'll go
upstairs."

"You'll do nothing of the kind," said Kate. "It's dreadfully hot up
there. Go in the spare room, where it is cool; we'll keep quiet. I am
going to stay Tuesday until I move you in there, anyway. It's smaller,
but it's big enough for one, and you'll feel much better there."

"Oh, Katie, I'm so glad you thought of that," cried Mrs. Bates. "I been
thinking and thinking about it, and it just seems as if I can't ever
steel myself to go into that room to sleep again. I'll never enter
that door that I don't see--"

"You'll never enter it again as your room," said Kate. "I'll fix you
up before I go; and Sally Whistler told me last evening she would come
and make her home with you if you wanted her. You like Sally, don't
you?"

"Yes, I like her fine," said Mrs. Bates.

Quietly as possible the girls washed the dishes, pulled down the
blinds, closed the front door, and slipped down in the orchard with
Robert to talk things over. Nancy Ellen was stiffly reserved with
Kate, but she WOULD speak when she was spoken to, which was so much
better than silence that Kate was happy over it. Robert was himself.
Kate thought she had never liked him so well. He seemed to grow even
kinder and more considerate as the years passed. Nancy Ellen was
prettier than Kate ever had seen her, but there was a li