COMMUTER'S WIFE 67 



town," but under her breath Aunt Lot averred she 

 heard her say, " I'm no servant. Peter, he a fool to 

 vork for the doctor, but I'm not hired, too." Aunt 

 Lot did not tell father of this, for.it was quite enough 

 to take up things said aloud, that could not be 

 passed as unheard. 



Mrs. Schmidt, though unconsciously, at last took 

 the fatal step and threw aside the protection of caste 

 to assume social responsibility by giving a party far 

 beyond her means, or rather, the Misses Schmidt gave 

 it. " Socials " and dances were of frequent occurrence 

 in the fall and winter months among the foreign 

 farming element, but none of this class were asked, 

 being now scorned by Karen as " pisans, vit no 

 ambishun." Classmates of both sexes from the 

 public school and the Lutheran Sunday-school were 

 alone chosen for this function which Karen's evil 

 genius argued would place the girls on a footing 

 in the local country society. Marie was now em- 

 ployed in a flashy millinery store in the town where 

 her wages, called by her "salary," barely paid for 

 her shoes and her car fare. 



Of course the firebrand who had for the past two 

 years guided the family affairs was mistress of 

 ceremonies. People came to and fro, and I found 

 myself almost avoiding going about the garden, for 



