home life was of importance. So I tarried to listen.

"How long have you worked for Miss Van Allen?"

"A matther av a year or more."

"You clean the rooms upstairs, sometimes?"

"All over the house. Manny's the time I've shwept an' vacuumed Miss
Van Allen's own bedroom an' boodore. An' likewise the music room an'
parlure an' all. Yis, sor, I'm here frekint."

"What other servants does Miss Van Allen employ?"

"Nobody that lives in, 'ceptin' Miss Julie. But there's the laundry
woman, as comes--though more often the wash goes out. Thin, there's a
chore boy, as runs arrants; an' sometimes a sewin' woman; an' often
the caterer man's dagoes. Yis, an' a boy, a Buttons you know, to open
the dure for, say, an afternoon party. You see, Miss Van Allen is off
visitin' so much, she don't want steady help."

"Where does she visit?"

"That I dunno. But go, she does, an' I'm thinkin' it's good times she
has. For she comes back, chipper an' merry an' glad to see her
friends--an' thin, all of a suddint, up an' off agin."

I knew that was Vicky Van's habit. All that the woman said
corroborated my idea of the little butterfly's frivolous life. So, why
should she keep permanent servants if she was at home only half the