COMMUTER'S WIFE 157 



" Mrs. Evan, what ham I ? You having told me 

 never to take kitchen complaints to Mr. Evan, I'm 

 obliged to ask you, and no disrespect intended, what 

 I ham." 



For a moment I thought she had lost her mind, 

 then I realized that Aunt Lot's visit to the kitchen 

 had probably created some sort of storm, and that 

 Martha's query was a bit of the wreckage, so I 

 waited for further information. 



" Ham I 'ousekeeper with hauthority over the two 

 maids, or only cook ? and if but cook, does my word 

 'old in the kitchen ? " 



Shades of inherited service descending upon an 

 overfree country, this was indeed a dilemma ! I 

 temporized from lack of ability to express in suit- 

 able words the entire liberty of the house servant. 

 Perchance if Martha understood, she would be 

 reasonable, for I simply would not have domestic 

 broils. 



"You are Martha Corkle, Mr. Evan's old nurse, 

 of whom he thought so much that when he left 

 his old home he brought you away with him. I 

 knew that our ways are not yours, and I was 

 afraid that you would be unhappy ; but I did not 

 want to disappoint the master by telling him so, 

 and I thought that a familiar face might make it 



