one. I want a few neat chairs --
plain ones -- cane-bottomed, or rush-bottomed will do; I want
them for this room; for if this lady comes we shall have to
take this for our eating-room. I don't want a table; we can
make this do; -- or we can take the one I use now; but we want
the chairs."

"Well, Miss Lizzie, you'll have to have 'em -- we'll manage to
pile 'em on someways."

And Miss Haye withdrew.

"Ain't this a start now?" said Clam after she had rubbed her
knives in silence for several minutes. "Didn't I tell you so?"

"Tell what?" said Karen.

"Why! that Miss 'Lizabeth couldn't keep quiet more'n long
enough to get her spunk up. What in the name of variety is she
at work at now!"

"What's the matter with you?" grumbled Karen.

"Why I tell you," said Clam facing round, "them two love each
other like pison!"

"That's a queer way to love," said Karen.

"They hate each other then -- do you understand me? they hate
so, one wouldn't thaw a piece of ice off the other's head if
it was freezin' her!"

"Maybe 'tain't jus' so," said Karen.

"What do you know about it!" said Clam contemptuously.

"What do you, perhaps?" suggested Karen.

"I know _my_ young lady," said Clam rubbing her knives, "and I
know t'other one. There ain't but one person in _this_ world
that can make Miss 'Lizabeth keep her fire down -- but she does
have an idee of mindin' him."

"Who's that?" said Karen.

"Somebody you don't know, I guess," said Clam.

"If 'twas all true, she wouldn't want her here," said Karen.

"It's all true," said Clam, -- "'cept the last. _You_ don't know
nothin', Karen. We'll see what a time there'll be when she
comes. Eat in here! --"

"She's eat in here afore now -- and I guess she can again,"
said old Karen, in a tone of voice which spoke her by no means
so discomposed as Clam's words would seem to justify.

Perhaps Elizabeth herself had a thought or two on the close
quarters which would be the infallible result of Mrs. Haye's
seizure of the old 'keeping-room.'

The twenty-seventh, spite of Karen's understanding of the
weather, was a rainy day. The twenty-eighth, Karen and
Anderese went to Pimpernel on their furniture hunting, and
came back at night with the articles, selected somewhat in
accordance with a limited experience of the usual contents of
a cabinet-maker's warehouse. The very next day, Elizabeth set
Anderese to foisting out and putting together her little old
boat, the Merry-go-round. Pu