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heard him；and she brought him in and very politely introduced him to
her mother！it was rich； Isabel。〃
〃How did Diantha manage it？〃 asked her friend。
〃She's been trying to arrange it for ever so long。 Of course her father
objectedyou'd know that。 But there's a sisternot a bad sort； only
very limited； she's taken the old man to board； as it were； and I guess
the mother really set her foot down for oncesaid she had a right to
visit her own daughter！〃
〃It would seem so；〃 Mrs。 Porne agreed。 〃I _am_ so glad！ It will be so
much easier for that brave little woman now。〃
It was。
Diantha held her mother in her arms the night she came； and cried tike a
baby。
〃O mother _dear！_〃 she sobbed； 〃I'd no idea I should miss you so much。
O you blessed comfort！〃
Her mother cried a bit too； she enjoyed this daughter more than either
of her older children； and missed her more。 A mother loves all her
children； naturally； but a mother is also a personand may； without
sin； have personal preferences。
She took hold of Diantha's tangled mass of papers with the eagerness of
a questing hound。
〃You've got all the bills； of course；〃 she demanded； with her anxious
rising inflection。
〃Every one；〃 said the girl。 〃You taught me that much。 What puzzles me
is to make things balance。 I'm making more than I thought in some
lines； and less in others； and I can't make it come out straight。〃
〃It won't； altogether； till the end of the year I dare say；〃 said Mrs。
Bell； 〃but let's get clear as far as we can。 In the first place we must
separate your business；see how much each one pays。〃
〃The first one I want to establish；〃 said her daughter； 〃is the girl's
club。 Not just this one； with me to run it。 But to show that any group
of twenty or thirty girls could do this thing in any city。 Of course
where rents and provisions were high they'd have to charge more。 I want
to make an average showing somehow。 Now can you disentangle the girl
part front the lunch part and the food part； mother dear； and make it
all straight？〃
Mrs。 Bell could and did； it gave her absolute delight to do it。 She
set down the total of Diantha's expenses so far in the Service
Department； as follows：
Rent of Union House 。 。 。 1；500
Rent of furniture 。 。 。 300
One payment on furniture 。 。 。 400
Fuel and lights； etc。 。 。 。 352
Service of 5 at 10 a week each 。 。 。 2；600
Food for thirty…seven 。 。 。 3；848
…
Total 。 。 。 9；000
〃That covers everything but my board；〃 said Mrs。 Bell。
〃Now your income is easy35 x 4。50 equals 8；190。 Take that from your
9；000 and you are 810 behind。〃
〃Yes； I know；〃 said Diantha； eagerly； 〃but if it was merely a girl's
club home； the rent and fixtures would be much less。 A home could be
built； with thirty bedroomsand all necessary conveniencesfor 7；000。
I've asked Mr。 and Mrs。 Porne about it； and the furnishing needn't cost
over 2；000 if it was very plain。 Ten per cent。 of that is a rent of
900 you see。〃
〃I see；〃 said her mother。 〃Better say a thousand。 I guess it could be
done for that。〃
So they set down rent； 1；000。
〃There have to be five paid helpers in the house；〃 Diantha went on； 〃the
cook； the laundress； the two maids； and the matron。 She must buy and
manage。 She could be one of their mothers or aunts。〃
Mrs。 Bell smiled。 〃Do you really imagine； Diantha； that Mrs。
O'Shaughnessy or Mrs。 Yon Yonson can manage a house like this as you
can？〃
Diantha flushed a little。 〃No； mother； of course not。 But I am keeping
very full reports of all the work。 Just the schedule of laborthe
hoursthe exact things done。 One laundress； with machinery； can wash
for thirty…five； （its only six a day you see）； and the amount is
regulated； about six dozen a day； and all the flat work mangled。
〃In a Girl's Club alone the cook has all day off； as it were； she can do
the down stairs cleaning。 And the two maids have only table service and
bedrooms。〃
〃Thirty…five bedrooms？〃
〃Yes。 But two girls together； who know how； can do a room in 8
minuteseasily。 They are small and simple you see。 Make the bed；
shake the mats； wipe the floors and windows；you watch them！〃
〃I have watched them；〃 the mother admitted。 〃They are as quick asas
mill…workers！〃
〃Well；〃 pursued Diantha； 〃they spend three hours on dishes and tables；
and seven on cleaning。 The bedrooms take 280 minutes； that's nearly
five hours。 The other two are for the bath rooms； halls； stairs；
downstairs windows； and so on。 That's all right。 Then I'm keeping the
menusjust what I furnish and what it costs。 Anybody could order and
manage when it was all set down for her。 And you seeas you have
figured itthey'd have over 500 leeway to buy the furniture if they
were allowed to。〃
〃Yes；〃 Mrs。 Bell admitted； 〃_if_ the rent was what you allow； and _if_
they all work all the time！〃
〃That's the hitch； of course。 But mother； the girls who don't have
steady jobs do work by the hour； and that brings in more； on the whole。
If they are the right kind they can make good。 If they find anyone who
don't keep her jobfor good reasonsthey can drop her。〃
〃M'm！〃 said Mrs。 Bell。 〃Well； it's an interesting experiment。 But how
about you？ So far you are 410 behind。〃
〃Yes； because my rent's so big。 But I cover that by letting the rooms；
you see。〃
Mrs。 Bell considered the orders of this sort。 〃So far it averages about
25。00 a week； that's doing well。〃
〃It will be less in summermuch less；〃 Diantha suggested。 〃Suppose you
call it an average of 15。00。〃
〃Call it 10。00；〃 said her mother ruthlessly。 〃At that it covers your
deficit and 110 over。〃
〃Which isn't much to live on；〃 Diantha agreed； 〃but then comes my
special catering； and the lunches。〃
Here they were quite at sea for a while。 But as the months passed； and
the work steadily grew on their hands； Mrs。 Bell became more and more
cheerful。 She was up with the earliest； took entire charge of the
financial part of the concern； and at last Diantha was able to rest
fully in her afternoon hours。 What delighted her most was to see her
mother thrive in the work。 Her thin shoulders lifted a little as small
dragging tasks were forgotten and a large growing business substituted。
Her eyes grew bright again； she held her head as she did in her keen
girlhood； and her daughter felt fresh hope and power as she saw already
the benefit of the new method as affecting her nearest and dearest。
All Diantha's friends watched the spread of the work with keenly
sympathetic intent； but to Mrs。 Weatherstone it became almost as
fascinating as to the girl herself。
〃It's going to be one of the finest businesses in the world！〃 she said；
〃And one of the largest and best paying。 Now I'll have a surprise ready
for that girl in the spring； and another next year； if I'm not
mistaken！〃
There were long and vivid discussions of the matter between her and her
friends the Pornes； and Mrs。 Porne spent more hours in her 〃drawing
room〃 than she had for years。
But while these unmentioned surprises were pending； Mrs。 Weatherstone
departed to New Yorkto Europe； and was gone some months。 In the
spring she returned； in A