and fuel. And it would be fun! All at our house this month, and all
at Aunt Mat's next month!"

"There's one serious objection to sharing a maid," Mrs. Salisbury
presently submitted; "she would tell the other family all your
private business."

"If they chose to pump her, she might," Alexandra said, with
unintentional rebuke, and Mr. Salisbury added amusedly:

"No, no, no, Mother! That's an exploded theory. How much has Justine
told you of her last place?"

"But that's no proof she WOULDN'T, Kane," Mrs. Salisbury ended the
talk by rising from her chair, taking another nearer the reading
lamp, and opening a new magazine. "Justine is a sensible girl," she
added, after a moment. "I have always said that. When all the
discussing and theorizing in the world is done, it comes down to
this: a servant in my house shall do AS I SAY. I have told her that
I dislike this ridiculous club idea, and I expect to hear no more of
the matter!"

There came a day in December when Mrs. Salisbury came home from the
Forum Club in mid-afternoon. Her face was a little pale as she
entered the house, her lips tightly set. It was a Thursday
afternoon, and Justine's kitchen was empty. Lettuce and peeled
potatoes were growing crisp in yellow bowls of ice water, breaded
cutlets were in the ice chest, a custard cooled in a north window.

Mrs. Salisbury walked rapidly through the lower rooms, came back to