"Mary, I--I've been thinking. You see, just as soon as I'm strong
enough, I--I'm going to take care of myself, and then I won't be a
burden to--to anybody." Jane was talking very fast now. Her words came
tremulously between short, broken breaths. "But until I get well enough
to earn money, I can't, you see. And I've been thinking;--would you be
willing to take me until--until I can? I'm lots better, already, and
getting stronger every day. It wouldn't be for--long."

"Why, of course, Jane!" Mary spoke cheerfully, and in a tone a little
higher than her ordinary voice. "I should have asked you to come here
before, only I feared you wouldn't be happy here--such a different life
for you, and so much noise and confusion with Belle's wedding coming on,
and all!"

Jane gave her a grateful glance.

"I know, of course,--you'd think that,--and it isn't that I'm finding
fault with Julia and Edgar. I couldn't do that--they're so good to me.
But, you see, I put them out so. Now, there's my room, for one thing. 'T
was Ella's, and Ella has to keep running in for things she's left, and
she says it's the same with the others. You see, I've got Ella's room,
and Ella's got Tom's, and Tom's got Bert's. It's a regular 'house that
Jack built'--and I'm the'Jack'!"

"I see," laughed Mary constrainedly. "And you want to come here? Well,
you shall. You--you may come a week from Saturday," she added, after a
pause. "I have a reception and a dinner here the first of the week, and
--you'd better stay away until after that."