the
chairs. Her brown eyes looked darker and there was a hint of color in
her cheeks as she ran down to the kitchen and confronted Kate amid the
chaos and confusion of her own domain.

"Katy, my bed hasn't been made, nor my room done to-day," she cried.

"Bless my soul, I clean forgot it," said Kate in real consternation.
"I'll go right up this very minute as soon as I've cast my eyes on the
oven, though, to tell you the truth, my feet ache like the toothache."

Elsie's feet ached, too, for the first time in her life. Wherefore she
partly understood. Her indignation died out.

"Oh, don't bother then, Katy," she said kindly, "I can sleep on the
couch to-night. And to-morrow, perhaps, you'll do it early before your
feet get tired?"

Kate insisted upon going. "No, you don't sleep on no sofy; not while I
can crawl about," she declared, and Elsie followed her up-stairs.

Watching her from her chair by the window, the girl saw that she looked
tired, indeed.

"I could have slept on the couch, Katy," she protested.

Kate looked at her--frowned--then smiled.

"Oh, Miss Elsie, a body'd know you lost your mother young. Now if I'd
'a' forgot your uncle's bed, he'd 'a' made it hisself and said nothing.
There's many young ladies as makes their own beds, and does all but the
heavy sweepin'. I don't suppose you ever did such a thing in your
life?"

Elsie confessed that she hadn't. She didn't say that it seemed a
burden to turn down the covers. Again Kate frowned and smiled.
Clearly Miss Moss wasn't one to take a hint.

"How would you like to _learn_?" she inquired.

"Oh, I never thought," said Elsie. "Why, yes, of course, if you'll
teach me some time, I'll do it every day after I get so that I can."

For the moment she had forgotten her stay was to be so limited.

"Bless you, you'll learn in no time; it's nothing to do," Kate assured
her beamingly. "Come here, right now."

Somewhat taken aback, Elsie complied. She was surprised to find that
it wasn't difficult nor even unpleasant.

"You see, Miss Elsie, I can't never go about my work and finish one
thing before I take up another," Kate explained. "I'm up and down
these stairs, up and down, up and down, from mornin' till night,
a-waitin' on the missus. When it ain't eggnog, it's beef-tea or gruel,
and then again it'll be frosted cake, icing that thick, upon my word
and honor! And once she gets hold of me, I have to stay and tell her
all the news I get