the sewing circle: her mother, in the next town, was ill, and she had
gone to see her. So the Bemis house was locked up, and the fire no
doubt out. Mrs. White lives on an outlying farm, and there was not
another neighbor within a quarter of a mile. If Mrs. Jameson must
have that hot water for her hygienic food there was really nothing
to do but to make up the fire in the kitchen stove, no matter how
uncomfortable we all might be in consequence.

Flora Clark said in a very loud voice, and Mrs. White could not hush
her, that she would see Mrs. H. Boardman Jameson in Gibraltar first;
and she was so indignant because Mrs. White began to put kindlings
into the stove that she stalked off into the other room. Mrs. White
begged me to follow her and try to keep her quiet, but I was so
indignant myself that I was almost tempted to wish she would speak
out her mind. I ran out and filled the tea-kettle, telling Mrs. White
that I guessed Flora wouldn't say anything, and we started the fire.

It was a quarter of seven before the water was hot, and we asked the
ladies to walk out to supper. Luckily, the gentlemen were not coming
that night. It was haying-time, and we had decided, since we held the
meeting principally because of the extra work, that we would not have
them. We often think that the younger women don't do as much work
when the gentlemen are coming; they are upstairs so long curling
their hair and prinking.

I wondered if Flora Clark had said anything. I heard afterward that
she had not, but I saw at once that she was endeavoring to wreak a
little revenge upon Mrs. Jameson. By a series of very skilfull and
scarcely perceptible manoeuvres she gently impelled Mrs. Jameson,
without her being aware of it, into the seat directly in front of the