w, with hair lighter than Clementina's and a
sanguine complexion, and the color coming and going.

"He's smaht," said Mrs. Atwell, when they had left him--he held the
dining-room door open for them, and bowed them out. "I don't know but he
worries almost too much. That'll wear off when he gets things runnin' to
suit him. He's pretty p'tic'la'. Now I'll show you how they've made the
office over, and built in a room for Mr. Atwell behind it."

The landlord welcomed Clementina as if she had been some acceptable
class of custom, and when the tall young clerk came in to ask him
something, and Mrs. Atwell said, "I want to introduce you to Miss
Claxon, Mr. Fane," the clerk smiled down upon her from the height of his
smooth, acquiline young face, which he held bent encouragingly upon one
side.

"Now, I want you should come in and see where I live, a minute," said
Mrs. Atwell. She took the girl from the clerk, and led her to the
official housekeeper's room which she said had been prepared for her so
that folks need not keep running to her in her private room where she
wanted to be alone with her children, when she was there. "Why, you
a'n't much moa than a child youaself, Clem, and here I be talkin' to you
as if you was a mother in Israel. How old ah' you, this summa? Time does
go so!"

"I'm sixteen now," said Clementina, smiling.

"You be? Well, I don't see why I say that, eitha! You're full lahge
enough for your age, but not seein' you in long dresses before, I didn't
realize your age so much. My, but you do all of you know how to do
things!"

"I'm about the only one that don't, Mrs. Atwell," said the girl. "If it
hadn't been for mother, I don't believe I could have eva finished this
dress." She began to laugh at something passing in her mind, and Mrs.
Atwell laughed too, in sympathy, though she did not know what at till
Clementina said, "Why, Mrs. Atwell, nea'ly the whole family wo'ked on
this dress. Jim drew the patte'n of it from the dress of one of the
summa boa'das that he took a fancy to at the Centa, and fatha cut it
out, and I helped motha make it. I guess every one of the children
helped a little."

"Well, it's just as I said, you can all of you do things," said Mrs.
Atwell. "But I guess you ah' the one that keeps 'em straight. What did
you say Mr. Landa said his wife wanted of you?"

"He said some kind of sewing that motha could do."

"Well, I'll tell you what! Now, if she ha'n't really got anything that