She was happy and contented in them days, Mrs. Truckles was, with McGowan doin' a rushin' business, gettin' his name on the Tammany ticket, and Katy patronizing a swell dressmaker and havin' a maid of her own. Then, all of a sudden, Mrs. Truckles tumbles to the fact that Katy is gettin' ashamed of havin' a mother that's out to service and eatin' with the chauffeur and the cook. Not that she wants her livin' with them,--McGowan wouldn't stand for that,--but Katy did think Mother might do something for a living that wouldn't blur up the fam'ly escutcheon quite so much. It was just when Mrs. Truckles was feelin' this most keen that the French governess where she was got married and went West to live, leavin' behind her, besides a collection of old hats, worn out shoes, and faded picture postals, this swell reference from Lady Jigwater. And havin' put in a year or so in France with dif'rent families that had taken her across, and havin' had to pick up more or less of the language, Mrs. Truckles conceives the great scheme of promotin' herself from the back to the front of the house. So she chucks up as workin' housekeeper, splurges on the wig, and strikes a swell intelligence office with this phony reference. Course, with anybody else but an easy mark like Mrs. Pinckney, maybe she wouldn't have got away with it; but all Geraldine does is glance at the paper, ask her if she likes children, and put her on the payroll. "Well?" says I. "And it got you some worried tryin' to make good, eh?" "I was near crazy over it," says she. "I thought I could do it at first; but it came cruel 'ard. Oh, sir, the lies I've 'ad to tell, keepin' it up. And with the rest of the 'elp all 'ating me! Marie used me worst of all, though. She made me tell 'er everything, and 'eld it over my 'ead. Next that Aunt Martha came and thought up so many bad things about me--you know." "Sure," says I; "but how about this Sir Podmore?" "I was 'ead laundress at Podmore 'Ouse," says she, "and I thought it was all up when he saw me here. I never should have tried to do it. I'm a good 'ousekeeper, if I do say it; but I'm getting to be an old woman now, and this will end me. It was for Katy I did it, though. Every week she used to come and throw it in my face that she couldn't call at the front door and--and----Well, I 'opes you'll believe me, sir; but that was just the way of it, and if I'm taken to jail it will kill Katy and----" "Aha!" breaks in a voice behind us. "Here, Pinckney! Come, Geraldine! This way everybody!" and as I turns around there's Aunt Martha with the accusin' finger out and her face fairly beamin'. Before I can get in a word she's assembled the fam'ly. "What did I tell you?" she cackles. "She's broken down and confessed! I heard her!" "Is it true, Shorty?" demands Mrs. Pinckney. "Does she admit that she was plotting to----" "Yep!" says I. "It's something awful too, almost enough to curdle your blood."