dollar as the desire to still
follow her lead. So next morning, soon after Mrs. Perkins's departure in
the Sherman carriage, a mighty revolution began in the house she left
behind her.

May Lily, strong and willing, went to work like a small cyclone. Under
Lloyd's direction, she swept and scrubbed and scoured. The bed was
aired, the stove was blacked, the windows washed, the tins polished till
they shone like new. By four o'clock not a cobweb or a speck of dust was
to be seen in either room. Lloyd sat down to wait for Mrs. Perkins's
return. She felt that it was safe to breathe now, and she did not have
to sit gingerly on the edge of the chair. Every piece of furniture had
been washed and rubbed. She could keep her promise about the pie very
comfortably now. Everything smelled so clean and wholesome to her that
she was sure that Mrs. Perkins would notice the change at once and be
pleased.

Mrs. Perkins did notice the change the moment she entered the door, but
it was with a displeased face. "Hm! Hm!" she sniffed. "Smells mightily
of soft soap in here. What have you been doing? I never could bear the
smell of soft soap or lye. Hm! Hm!"

Then she turned accusingly on Lloyd. "Didn't you know better than to put
stove-blacking on that stove? When it gets het up, it will smoke to
fare-ye-well, and start my asthma to going again full tilt. Some folks
are mighty thoughtless, never have no consideration for other people."

Lloyd shrank back, almost overcome by such a reception. It was like a
dash of cold water in her face. She was angry and indignant.

"Well," continued Mrs. Perkins, still sniffing around the room, as she
put her bonnet and shawl away. "Now you're here I'd like it if you would
put on the teakettle and make me a good strong cup of coffee. Jane
O'Grady gave me a pound, all parched and ground. I haven't had any
before to-day for weeks. I'm plumb tuckered out with the visit."

Lloyd hurried to build up the fire, thankful that May Lily had spent
much time scouring the old coffee-pot. Otherwise she could not have
brought herself to touch it. It shone like new now. As she poured the
water into it, three tiny streams spurted out of the side, hissing and
sputtering over the stove.

"Now just see what you done!" scolded Mrs. Perkins. "You hadn't ought to
have scoured that coffee-pot so. You'd ought to have let well enough be,
for you might have known you'd rub holes in it and make it leak."

"I'll get you a new o