Part 19 (2/2)

Without the garth of King Atli, but within, a wavering cloud Rolls, hiding the roof and the roof-sun; then she stirrith and crieth aloud.'”

”Cut it out! Cut it out!” cried Jo, ”and come lend a hand.”

”Mustn't we dust before we sweep?” innocently asked Billie.

”If you want to, but you'll have to dust again afterwards,” said the white-armed Gudrun from her ladder. ”The books are really so dirty that I don't think it would hurt to wipe down the walls without covering them, but that is a mighty poor cleaning method. Poor Molly! Didn't she look tired yesterday? I hope she won't think we are cheeky to take a hand in her affairs.”

”Cheeky! She will think we are her good friends, not like that snippy Miss Fern who stared so at the cobwebs and then went out and palavered over Epimenides Antinous. She used to claim him, so I am told. One of the nurses at the infirmary told me that when Epi Anti had typhoid there, years ago, Miss Fern came and dressed herself up like a nurse and almost bored the staff to death taking care of her sick cousin,” said Billie, delighted with the job that had been given her of wiping down walls. ”Isn't this splendid? Just look at all the dirt I got on my rag!”

”Well, don't rub it back on the wall,” admonished Jo.

”No. Well, what must I do with it?”

”Can't say, but don't put it back on the walls.”

”Jo, you and Billie dust the books and I will finish up the pictures.

I can't trust myself to dust Professor Green's books. I am afraid of breaking the tenth commandment all the time,” sighed Thelma. ”I'll wash the windows, too.”

”Oh, Thelma! The white-armed Gudrun sitting in windows was.h.i.+ng them!

That's not occupation meet for a queen. Let me do it.”

”You, Billie McKym, wash a window! Did you ever wash one in your life?”

”Well, no, not exactly, but I bet I could. What's the use of a college education if one can't wash windows when she gets to be a full grown senior?”

But since the object of the girls was to get the room clean, it was decided that Thelma was to wash the windows. My, how they worked! Jo found she had muscles that her athletics had never revealed. She found them because they began to ache.

”Why, to dust all these books and books is as bad as building a house,”

she said, straightening up and stretching when she had finished the poet's corner.

”Exactly like laying brick,” declared Billie. ”I'm going to join the Hod-carriers' Union. I'll be no scab.”

Katy had occasionally poked her head in at the door, entreating ”whin they coom to the scroobing” to call her.

The cleaners made very little noise, so little that the sleeping Molly and Mildred were not at all disturbed.

”I wish she knew it was almost done,” said Thelma, perched in the window sill and rubbing vigorously on a s.h.i.+ning pane. ”She would be so glad. I know she is worrying about it in her sleep. Hark! There is the baby!”

Then began the business of the day upstairs. Katy was called, for water must be heated as Katy, according to her habit, had let the fire go out before the boiler was hot.

”Katy, we must hurry up with Mildred this morning and get to the library. It is filthy,” said Molly, as she slipped the little French flannel petticoat over Mildred's bald head.

”Yes, mum!” grinned Katy.

”We have luncheon almost ready, with the cold lamb to start with.”

<script>