finally bring the determined old woman to terms. Miranda, with her nose flattened against the window pane of the dark kitchen chamber, watching the two blurred figures in the candle light of Grandmother Heath's " settin- room," wondered, and prayed, and hoped, and feared, and prayed again.
It was well that David had gone over to see Mrs. Heath that night and made all arrangements, if he cared to escape criticism from his relatives. It was the very next afternoon that Miss Amelia, on her daily visit to the shrine of her new grandniece, remarked: " Well, Marcia, has Miranda gone home yet? I should think her grandmother would need her, all this time away, poor old lady. And you're perfectly strong and able now to attend to your own work again."
Marcia's fair face flushed delicately, and she gathered her baby closer as if to protect her from the chill that would follow the words that she must speak.
"Why, Aunt Amelia," she said, brightly, "what do you think! Miranda is not going home at all. David has a foolish notion that he wants her to stay with me, and help look after baby. Besides, he wants me to go with him as I have been doing. I told him it was not necessary, but he wanted it, so he has arranged it all, and Mrs. Heath has given her consent."
" Miranda stay here!" The words fell like long slanting icicles that seemed to pierce as they fell. They lingered in the air until their full surprise and displeasure could be distinctly felt, and then followed more.
" I am surprised at you, Marcia. I thought you had more self-respect than that! It is a disgrace to a young strong woman to let her husband hire a girl to do her work while she gads about the country and leaves her house and her young child. If your own mother had lived she would have taught you better than that. And then, Miranda, of all people to select! The child of a renegade! A waif dependent, utterly thankless, and irresponsible! She is scatterbrained, and untrustworthy. If you needed anyone at any time to sit with the child while you were out for a legitimate cause to pay a call, or make an occasional visit, either Hortense or I would be glad to come and relieve you. Indeed, you must not think of leaving this wild, good-for- nothing Miranda Griscom with my nephew's child. I shall speak to my sister Hortense, and we will make it our business to come down every day, one or the other of us, and do anything that you find your strength is unequal to doing. We are still strong enough, I hope, to do anything for the family honor. I should be ashamed to have it known that David Spafford's wife was such a weakling that she had to have hired help in. The young wives of our family have always been proud of their housekeeping."
Now Miranda Griscom, whatever might be said of her other virtues, had no convictions against eavesdropping; and in the case of this particular caller, she felt it most necessary to serve her mistress in any way she could. She was keen enough to know that Miss Amelia would by no means be in favor of her advent in David Spafford's household, and she felt that her beloved mistress would have to bear some persecution on her account. She therefore resolved that, come what might, she would be on hand to protect her. So, soon after the good aunt was seated in state with Marcia in the large front bedroom where the cradle was established, and which had become the centre of the little household since Eose Spafford's birth, Miranda, soft-stepping, approached the door, and applied her ear to the generous crack. She could feel the subject of herself coming on, and her ready brain had devised a plan by which she thought she could relieve the pressure if it should become unduly heavy upon Marcia at any time.
So, just as Marcia lifted her face, white with control, and tried to take the angry flash out of her eyes and think what to reply to her tormentor, Miranda, without ceremony of approach, burst into the room, exclaiming, " Oh, Miss
It was well that David had gone over to see Mrs. Heath that night and made all arrangements, if he cared to escape criticism from his relatives. It was the very next afternoon that Miss Amelia, on her daily visit to the shrine of her new grandniece, remarked: " Well, Marcia, has Miranda gone home yet? I should think her grandmother would need her, all this time away, poor old lady. And you're perfectly strong and able now to attend to your own work again."
Marcia's fair face flushed delicately, and she gathered her baby closer as if to protect her from the chill that would follow the words that she must speak.
"Why, Aunt Amelia," she said, brightly, "what do you think! Miranda is not going home at all. David has a foolish notion that he wants her to stay with me, and help look after baby. Besides, he wants me to go with him as I have been doing. I told him it was not necessary, but he wanted it, so he has arranged it all, and Mrs. Heath has given her consent."
" Miranda stay here!" The words fell like long slanting icicles that seemed to pierce as they fell. They lingered in the air until their full surprise and displeasure could be distinctly felt, and then followed more.
" I am surprised at you, Marcia. I thought you had more self-respect than that! It is a disgrace to a young strong woman to let her husband hire a girl to do her work while she gads about the country and leaves her house and her young child. If your own mother had lived she would have taught you better than that. And then, Miranda, of all people to select! The child of a renegade! A waif dependent, utterly thankless, and irresponsible! She is scatterbrained, and untrustworthy. If you needed anyone at any time to sit with the child while you were out for a legitimate cause to pay a call, or make an occasional visit, either Hortense or I would be glad to come and relieve you. Indeed, you must not think of leaving this wild, good-for- nothing Miranda Griscom with my nephew's child. I shall speak to my sister Hortense, and we will make it our business to come down every day, one or the other of us, and do anything that you find your strength is unequal to doing. We are still strong enough, I hope, to do anything for the family honor. I should be ashamed to have it known that David Spafford's wife was such a weakling that she had to have hired help in. The young wives of our family have always been proud of their housekeeping."
Now Miranda Griscom, whatever might be said of her other virtues, had no convictions against eavesdropping; and in the case of this particular caller, she felt it most necessary to serve her mistress in any way she could. She was keen enough to know that Miss Amelia would by no means be in favor of her advent in David Spafford's household, and she felt that her beloved mistress would have to bear some persecution on her account. She therefore resolved that, come what might, she would be on hand to protect her. So, soon after the good aunt was seated in state with Marcia in the large front bedroom where the cradle was established, and which had become the centre of the little household since Eose Spafford's birth, Miranda, soft-stepping, approached the door, and applied her ear to the generous crack. She could feel the subject of herself coming on, and her ready brain had devised a plan by which she thought she could relieve the pressure if it should become unduly heavy upon Marcia at any time.
So, just as Marcia lifted her face, white with control, and tried to take the angry flash out of her eyes and think what to reply to her tormentor, Miranda, without ceremony of approach, burst into the room, exclaiming, " Oh, Miss
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