ody any assistance she
requires."

Geraldine followed the girl upstairs to the charming room assigned to
her. Every dainty convenience was within its walls. The pleasant maid's
manner was all alacrity. It was safe to believe that she knew more than
her mistress about Geraldine, and the attitude toward her of the young
master of the house. The guest looked about her and recalled her room at
the Carder farm, the patchwork quilt at the Upton Emporium, and her last
shakedown under the eaves of the Keefeport shell house.

Between the filmy white curtains at these windows she could see the rosy
vestiges of the orchard bloom. The furniture of the room was apparently
ivory, the bathroom silver and porcelain. Azure and white coloring were
in all the decorations. The maid was unpacking her boxes. Geraldine was
ashamed of her own mortification in allowing her to see the contents.

"I think I'd rather do that myself," she said hastily.

"Some ladies do," returned the girl.

"Especially," rejoined Geraldine, "when they are not used to being
waited upon!"

She accompanied this with a look of such frank sweetness that she
counted one more victim to her charms.

"She isn't one bit stuck-up," the maid reported downstairs, "and I
never saw such hair and eyes in all my life."

"They've done for Mr. Ben all right," remarked the chauffeur. "I guess
Madam thought it was about time to get acquainted."

When Geraldine came downstairs an hour later, she was arrayed in the
cheap little green-and-white house dress which had been one of her
purchases with Miss Upton, and was intended for summer use in the shop.
As she wandered into the living-room, Mrs. Barry walking on the piazza
perceived her through the long, open windows and came to join her.

"Did you find everything quite comfortable?" she asked solicitously.

"Perfectly," replied Geraldine. "It is quite wonderful after one has
been leading a camping-out life."

Mrs. Barry continued to approve her intonation and manner.

"You certainly have passed through strange vicissitudes," she replied.
"Sometime you must tell me your story-book adventures."

"They are not very pleasant reminiscences," said Geraldine.

"Very well, then, you shall not be made to rehearse them."

A maid appeared and announced dinner.

Geraldine's repressed excitement took away her appetite for the
perfectly served repast. Mrs. Barry's regal personality seemed to
pervade the whole establishment. One coul