fence.

Susan Betts was a neighbor's daughter. She had lived all her life in
the town, and she knew everybody. Just because she happened to work in
Daniel Burton's kitchen was no reason, to her mind, why she should not
be allowed to express her opinion freely on all occasions, and on all
subjects, and to all persons. Such being her conviction she conducted
herself accordingly. And Susan always lived up to her convictions.

In the kitchen to-day she found Keith.

"Oh, I say, Susan, I was looking for you. Dad wants you."

"What for?"

"I don't know; but I GUESS it's because he wants to have something
besides beans and codfish and fish-hash to eat. Anyhow, he SAID he was
going to speak to you about it."

Susan stiffened into inexorable sternness.

"So he's goin' ter speak ter me, is he? Well, 't will be mighty little
good that'll do, as he ought to know very well. Beefsteaks an' roast
fowls cost money. Has he got the money for me?"

Without waiting for an answer to her question, she strode through the
door leading to the dining-room and shut it crisply behind her.

The boy did not follow her. Alone, in the kitchen he drummed idly on
the window-pane, watching the first few drops of a shower that had