it's more expensive.
I'll go down now, and get the hot water and the ladder. I reckon she's
through with her breakfast by this time."

Miss Evelina had finished her breakfast, as the empty tray proved. She
sat listlessly in her chair and the water on the stove was boiling over.

"My sakes, Evelina," cried Miss Hitty, sharply, "I should think
you'd--I should think you'd hear the water fallin' on the stove," she
concluded, lamely. It was impossible to scold her as she would have
scolded Araminta.

"I'm goin' out now to put things on the line," continued Miss Hitty.
"When I get Minty started to cleanin', I'll come down and beat."

Miss Evelina made no response. She watched her brisk neighbour
wearily, without interest, as she hurried about the yard, dragging
mattresses into the sunlight, hanging musty bedding on the line, and
carrying the worn curtains to the mountain of rubbish which the Piper
had reared in front of the house.

"That creeter with the red feather can clean the yard if he's a mind
to," mused Miss Hitty, who was fully conversant with the Piper's work,
"but he can't clean the house. I'm going to do that myself."

She went in and was presently in her element. The smell of yellow soap
was as sweet incense in the nostrils of Miss Hitty, and the sound of
the scrubbing brush was melodious in her ears. She brushed down the
walls with a flannel cloth tied over a broom, washed the windows,
scrubbed every inch of the woodwork, and prepared the floor for its
destined coat of paint.

Then she sent Araminta into the next room with the ladder, and began on
the furniture. This, too, was thoroughly scrubbed, and as much paint
and varnish as would come off was allowed to come. "It'll have to be
painted," thought Miss Hitty, scrubbing happily, "but when it is
painted, it'll be clean underneath, and that's more than it has been.
Evelina 'll sleep clean to-night for the first time since she come
here. There's a year's washin' to be done in this house and before I
get round to that, I'll lend her some of my clean sheets and a quilt or
two of Minty's."

Adjourning to the back yard, Miss Mehitable energetically beat a
mattress until no more dust rose from it. With Araminta's aid she
carried it upstairs and put it in place. "I'm goin' home now after my
dinner and Evelina's," said Miss Hitty, "and when I come back I'll
bring sheets and quilts for this. You clean till I come back, and then
you can go home for