Bretta soon found how ignorant Effie was of all work, and undertook to teach her, which often meant to do it for her. Bretta was goodtempered in the main; the only thing she was really cross about, was when any one interfered with her waiting on Dick, and Effie had never any desire to irritate her. So the month passed, and Mrs. Miller was surprised to find that Effie was not returned on her hands as she had predicted, but was hired for another month.

Unconsciously even to herself, Effie made a change in the quiet farm-house. Her bonny face brightened it, as a fine picture will a sombre room. Besides, she had a way of putting flowers about which made even the kitchen gay and cheerful. Mrs. Madox, who was a very Quaker in her dislike of ornaments, could not find fault with the little nosegays Effie pinned to her collar or in her hair. Neither did Bretta, till one evening Dick laid a fine carnation on Effie's plate. It will look pretty in your hair," he said; and Effie, blushing a little, fastened the flower as he bade her.

"Why don't you leave the flowers on the bushes?" asked Bretta, next day, when Effie came into the kitchen with her apron full. They only make a litter with their leaves dropping about.-You must learn to make the cakes for supper. To-night you can bake them."

"How many you cut out!" Effie said, as she stood watching Bretta. "They'll not all be eaten."

"Only bake them properly and we will see. I'm not going to stint Dick, I promise you," said Bretta.

"If he did not love them so!" thought Effie. "I have half a mind to upset the pepper-box over them, or sprinkle them with salt, so that Bretta may seem in fault. A man should not have what he likes just because he wants it. If he had to do the baking he would lose his appetite."

But thinking did Effie no good, for when supper-time came, Bretta sat down to the table, and Effie was left to bake the cakes. The evening was close, and the heat of the fire insufferable. Effie's face became flame-color, and she burnt her arm against the griddle, the pain of which the heat of the fire increased ten-fold. In her heart she blamed Dick for the pain she felt, though she made no exclamation. "How hot you look! and do you know you have burnt your arm?" asked Dick, looking up at her as she placed a plate of rather ill-baked cakes beside him.

"One must expect to be hot over a fire," said Effie shortly, and turned away. But not so quickly that she did not hear Dick say to Bretta in a low voice: "6 Bretta, do you wish me to be starved? These cakes are baked abominably."

Bretta came at once to the fire where Effie was kneeling. "Let me have your place," she said in a friendly voice. "Turn about is fair play."

"So I cannot bake the cakes to please him," Effie thought, half sorrowfully, half angrily, as she went to the table and took a seat as far from Dick as possible.

"Will you have one of your own cakes, or will you wait for those Bretta is baking? They will be sure to be better," said Dick, pushing the plate of half-cold cakes towards her.

Effie took one silently. She was hurt and mortified, and felt much more like crying than eating; so pushing back her chair, she murmured something about the heat and went out of doors. Certainly it was cooler in the garden, and as there was no one near, she could cry a little, for her arm did give her pain. She took off the handkerchief she had wrapped around the burn and looked at the ugly, red blister. Effie felt heartily sorry for herself, because no one else did, and in a half-childish, half-mocking way she bent her head and kissed the wound.

"Let me see your arm," Dick said, just behind her; but instead of stretching it towards him, Effie hid the ill-used member in the folds of her dress.

"I must see it," said Dick authoritatively, and Effie, though she thought him impertinent, did as he bade her.

"It is only a scorch," Dick said coolly, taking the white arm into his own hands to examine it the better.

"Then a scorch is very painful; though when my skin is hard and tough I shall not mind one, perhaps," returned Effie hotly, glancing at the strong, bronzed hand that held her delicate arm.

Dick said nothing, but turned off into the garden-path. "He has gone to look at the pea-vines. I heard him tell Bretta he was sure there were some left," thought Effie. But in a moment he came back with his hands full of the green leaves of the white lily-plants.

"Now I must have another look at the burn," said Dick, and Effie smiled and stretched out her arm to him. He raised it gently, but before he laid the cool leaf on the wound, he suddenly bent his head and kissed it. Effie blushed violently and tried to free herself from his grasp, and Dick blushed too, but said, laughing, "You know you believe in the childish charm, or you would not have tried it yourself just now. Give me your handkerchief and I will bind on the leaf."

The cool leaf was a relief, and Dick was careful in wrapping the bandage so that it would not move. He had just finished his surgery, when Bretta came across the yard on her way to the spring-house. "Have you noticed whether the cherries are all gone?" Dick called out to her.

Bretta stopped and told him of a tree where he would find a few, and he walked away whistling.

"Can I help you, Bretta?" asked Effie, seeing that the girl's hands were so full that only Bretta could have managed not to drop something.

"How can you use such a bandaged arm?” asked Bretta, sarcastically.

My arm is much better. I will go to the spring-house with you and help you," Effie answered, meekly.

Why don't you follow Dick, and get him to give you some cherries? I can help myself with the butter," was the curt reply. "I have just finished my supper; one can't always be eating. Dear Bretta, let me come with you.'

Bretta looked at her sharply; the child had tears in her eyes. Perhaps Dick had frightened her. He meant no doubt to be kind but men are rough, and Effie was scarcely better than a flower.

Bretta had seen Dick playing the surgeon, and she was angry with Effie for such folly. She had not seen him kiss the wound, or she would not have forgiven the child so easily; for Bretta held that a girl should know how to keep a man in his proper place, and she had no patience with one who could not. No man had ever tried nonsense with her.

After that evening, Effie was not called upon to bake the cakes, though she had other work to do that she did not like any better. For some reason Bretta was not quite so friendly.

"It is time for you to learn, you'll never be any younger," she would say a dozen times a day, and usually when the task was a disagreeable one. Bretta could not have explained to herself why she felt less friendly to Effie; indeed, if any one had taxed her with feeling the difference, she would have denied it. Yet Effie felt the effects of the change in her.

"Give

One evening Effie had to draw water for the next day's washing. The bucket was heavy, and strained her arms until the blue veins showed plainly. Then too she could not carry the bucket as did Bretta, and the water splashed out at every step and wet her. me the bucket; it is much too heavy for you," said Dick's voice. She had not seen him coming across the yard, and he startled her so he made her spill the water. "You'll never fill a tub. Give me the bucket and I will carry the water for you. Do you wish to break

your arms?"

But Effie drew back and held on to the bucket. She would not give it up, much as her arms ached; for Bretta had come to the door and was watching them. "Do you not hear! Give me the bucket," said Dick, loudly and sharply. And poor Effie dared not disobey. "Bretta," said Dick, as soon as he came near her, "why can't you draw the water? See how the child has wet herself."

"She needn't hold the bucket slantingly," answered Bretta, coolly. "But she does; and to have the yard full of mud-puddles is

inconvenient."

"If you had not frightened me I should only have wet myself," said Effie, blushing with anger.

"I don't like to see a girl dripping like a fish," remarked Dick gravely. "There is Bretta, who can carry a bucket full to the brim and never spill a drop."

"That is because I have strong arms and a hinge in my back. Effie will soon learn to bend under a strain upon her, and will carry the water without spilling," said Bretta, encouragingly.

"Not as long as I live," said Dick, and walked away. Then he called back, "Mind, Bretta, no more mud-puddles. If there is no one but Effie to carry water, I will lend you one of the men to do it." "Never mind," said Bretta, kindly, seeing Effie's flushed, vexed

face.

"There is plenty to do besides carrying a bucket; but if Dick makes a point of it, we shall have to give in, as he is master."

It was not only about carrying water that Dick interfered. There was very little that Effie could do to please him, for Bretta had spoiled him so that he had only to hint that she did anything satisfactorily and she was sure to undertake it. If Effie looked pretty

and kept the rooms in order and put a flower in her hair, Dick was sure to be satisfied, but if she undertook any actual work he grew fault-finding.

"There is no use in keeping any one to help Bretta," Mrs. Madox was saying. "Effie can very well be spared."

"Don't be too hard on Bretta, Mother.

The willing horse is sure to be overdriven. Effie must surely be of some use," answered Dick. "What she does isn't worth her feeding, let alone her wages. Just to tidy up a room, and potter over the flowers-"

"And look pretty. Few girls can do that better than Effie does," interrupted Dick.

"She doesn't eat much," Mrs. Madox went on to say; "I often wish she were heartier. But still, it is not worth while to pay her wages, and I shall bid her go when her month is up."

66

"Let me manage it, Mother," proposed Dick, in his loud clear voice, for Mrs. Madox was deaf. Perhaps I can get her to stay without wages, just for what she eats and drinks, and of course we must give her her clothes. If she will stay for these, you wouldn't consider it a bad bargain, would you?"

Maybe not. You must do just as you please, as you are master here. But I would speak to Bretta first, if I were you," said Mrs. Madox.

"What is it Bretta's business?"

"Bretta does everything, so she might naturally like to be asked," insisted Mrs. Madox.

"Bretta won't care. So I eat all she cooks and let her do as she pleases, she will be satisfied. Besides, Bretta likes a good bargain, and to have Effie for nothing she'll think excellent."

Did Dick know that Effie was gathering currants right under his mother's window? Of course she could not help hearing every word he said when he talked so loud. She had a great mind to call out to him, but she was ashamed. So she took up her basket and went to the other end of the row of bushes, out of earshot, but where the fruit was not so abundant.

Poor little Effie! she was ready to cry with sorrow and vexation. Who was Dick that he should hold her so cheaply? He was willing to keep her because she ate so little, and really was of some help to Bretta, if only to arrange a room tidily. He would keep her, forsooth, just for her food and clothes, and he one of the richest farmers in the county! Well, men could be avaricious. She was glad he would make her the proposition himself, for she would surely tell him what she thought, and then she would go back to her grandmother. What did he care if she was not wanted there?

Effie thought all this as she slowly picked the bunches of currants. It had been pleasant work to her a half-hour before, indeed it was scarcely work at all. She had quite forgotten that she had put some of the red bunches with their green leaves into her hair; and if she had remembered it, she could not have guessed how they shone like jewels in the sunlight.

Suddenly Effie's fingers began to work rapidly, for she heard a heavy footstep on the gravel-walk. She would not turn and look,

though she knew Dick was standing just behind her, watching her. Her cheeks grew as red as the fruit in her basket. Why did he stand there? Did he not see she was busy? Was he in such haste to treat her as if she needed his charity? But she would not stay; no, she would rather die first.

Why do you stand there?" she asked irritably, unable any longer to keep silent. "I can't half pick the currants if any one watches me, and Bretta is waiting for them."

"Let me help you," he said, stretching out his hand and stripping a whole branch at once. "You need not gather them so daintily. Bretta is going to use them for wine."

"But she does not want them bruised. Pray let me gather them; there is little enough I can do."

"You can and have done more than you think," Dick answered, letting the branch fly back.

"Some things better than Bretta does, no doubt," said Effie sarcastically, sure that he was opening the way for his proposition.

"Yes, some things much better than Bretta," he answered, quite coolly.

"Then why is it you are calling on Bretta for everything, until she is quite your slave? I would not try to please any man as Bretta does you," Effie said hotly.

"But you may do it without intending to. For instance, those currants please me, for they look vastly pretty in your hair. But that is no reason you should take them out. That was cross in you, just because I said they were pretty. Let me put these in their place," urged Dick, coming to her with a bunch of fruit in his hands.

No, you shall not," said Effie, drawing back. "I'll not wear your currants any more than I will the clothes you would kindly give me, neither will I let you feed me."

"Clothes and food! Ah, now I see, you have been eaves-dropping," said Dick, gravely.

"How could I help doing so when you will talk so loud, and the best of the currants grow under your mother's window? But I am glad I overheard you, for if you had ever proposed such a thing to me, as you said you would, I might have said something terrible. Whilst now I shall only say that I intend to go home to my grand

mother."

"That is what I expect you to do, and you are mistaken if you think I won't make my proposition just as if you had not overheard it. Listen to me, Effie," he said, coming near her, and suddenly seizing her by the hands as if he feared she would run away: "When a man wishes to take care of a girl, it is not because he hates her; and he don't quite consider he is doing a charity either, unless charity means, as some say it does, love. I want you for a wife, not

for a servant. ""

"Do you not hear Bretta calling me? She wants the currants. Pray let me go," said Effie, breathlessly.

"No, I shall not, until you promise to be my wife," and Dick still kept his grasp on her.

"But did you not say I must go to my grandmother?"