way to the west to the ridge of hills that was crowned with orange
and purple mists, with the white road climbing to its crest. And as he
watched, he could see a small blob of white dust moving, leaving a
feathery tail behind it. And he turned quickly and went into the
house.

PART II

MYRTLE

CHAPTER IX

The sunlight was dazzling white. High winds during the night had
chased all clouds to remote quarters and had with the morning suddenly
gone, leaving the city to the entire mercy of the sun. It was August
and very dry and in the corners of buildings huddled little heaps of
dust and elusive trash, withered and powdery. On the pavements and
walls the sunlight lay like white-hot gold and the shadows cast by the
awnings of Bessire's department store were sharply chiselled as by a
stencil. Mary Louise paused for a moment in their shelter and drew
breath.

Sometimes work is a fattener. It is when, by virtue of its absorption,
certain phases of the body are allowed to function naturally. It is
true in the case of meddling minds, also in more or less conscientious
natures. Mary Louise's nerves had temporarily ceased to feed upon her.
She was getting plump. The lace frill at the bottom of her elbow
sleeve lay flat against a curve that was full and round. In fact, one
was conscious of a general well-roundedness about her. And her face,
which was flushed, was likewise serene.

The tea room had been making money. With the arrival of the intense
heat had come generous patronage, especially for the noon meal. And
the petty vexations had effaced themselves. For the past few weeks an
atmosphere of expectancy had seemed to hover, such as is felt on
trains arriving after a long journey, or in the completion of a work.
It was the sense of accomplishment. Mary Louise felt her problem
undergoing solution, and nothing else mattered. She now laughed at the
dismay she had felt at paying ten dollars for a cook in Bloomfield.
There was no price to be set on her freedom. And the careless streak
in Maida was something to be accepted with good nature and not to be
allowed to irritate. Maida was at least on the job, eternally on the
job. Not much of a companion truly, nor for that matter a really good
business partner. But she irradiated good nature and that was
something.

A sizzling hot pavement is not much of a place for reflection even if
shaded by a striped awning. So Mary Louise passed on. The bundle of
fresh-printed