along with something more substantial to her mother. I really liked Mrs. Willkit and flattered myself that the regard was mutual, a view which New Year's day confirmed, for with it came a return gift from her of a dozen new-laid eggs, each wrapped separately in white paper as became so princely a gift. Could anything make swifter appeal to a housekeeper's heart? Needless to say, they were withheld from miscellaneous kitchen exploitation, and dedicated chiefly to the master's use who, however, was more than once caught eating them behind his morning Globe in abstracted casualness and had to be reminded of his privileges.
Of course such benefactions as these left a glow in Mrs. Willkit's direction, and though some of the blouses didn't realize expectations, and one or two failed altogether of their intended destiny, I succeeded in taking a liberal view, judging more by intentions than by achievements.
Gradually the conditions of Mrs. Willkit's life and experience were unrolled before me. Naturally reticent and fine, it was by no word of hers that I pierced out the all too common little story and realized that she was one of
