poisoned him?"

"No one knows. He died five years ago, and left mother with
me and four little brothers to bring up. They're all doing
well now, though, and I help mother, as they do. They didn't
want me to go out to service, you know," added Susan, warming
on finding sympathetic listeners. "I could have stopped at
home with mother in Stepney, but I did not want to be idle,
and took a situation with a widow lady at Hampstead. I
stopped there a year. Then she died and I went as parlor-maid
to a Senora Gredos. I was only there six months," and she
sighed.

"Why did you leave?" asked Geraldine.

Susan grew red. "I wished for a change," she said curtly.

But the housemaid did not believe her. She was a sharp girl
and her feelings were not refined. "It's just like these men--"

"I said nothing about men," interrupted Susan, sharply.

"Well, then, a man. You've been in love, Susan, and--"

"No. I am not in love," and Susan colored more than ever.

"Why, it's as plain as cook that you are, now," tittered
Geraldine.

"Hold your noise and leave the gal be," said Mrs. Pill,