“I think,” said Cornelia thoughtfully, “that this would be a nice night to clean the kitchen, if you all could help.” “Clean the kitchen!” They looked up unenthusiastically. “Why, I thought you cleaned that the first day. It looked awfully nice,” said Louise. Somehow kitchens seemed uninteresting places. “Oh, but not really clean,” said Cornelia, taking a deep breath and trying to get courage for the evening, for she was already weary enough to rest; but she must do something to take the family mind off Carey and that locked parlor door if she wanted her plans to succeed. “I want to paint it all white, walls and ceiling and woodwork; and then I want to paint the floor gray, and put that waterproof varnish on it so it will wash up easily. Those boards are very hard to keep clean the way they are and show every grease-spot. Did you ever paint Harry?” “Oh sure. I painted the porch down to the grocery, and the hen-house, and all around the window-sills for Mrs. Brannon. I can paint. Got any brushes?” “Yes, I got one for each of us the other day, and a can of paint to be ready when there was time. Then, father I wonder if you couldn’t put up some brackets, and fix those old marbles for me.” “Marbles?” “Yes, those old marbles that came off the wash-stand and bureau that fell to pieces. They are out in the back shed, and I want one of them put on the dresser, screwed on, you know, so I can use it for a molding-board, and the other two, the back and top of the old wash-stand put up on brackets for shelves in the kitchen, near the sink. They’ll save buying oilcloth, and be lovely to work on, and simply delightful to clean.” “Why, I guess I can fix them. There’s an old marble-topped table around somewhere, too.” “I know; I’m going to paint the woodwork white, and get some ball-bearing casters for it, and use it in the kitchen to work on. Then I can wheel it around where I need it, over by the sink when I’m washing dishes, over by the stove to hold the bowl of batter when I’m baking cakes.” “Say, that’ll be great!” cried Louise. “Oh! I never realized a kitchen could be pretty. Why, I’d like to wash dishes in a place like that—all white! Say, Nellie, is that a part of interior decorating? Kitchens?” “Surely!” smiled the sister. “We want to make it pleasant where we have to work the most. Now let’s get these dishes out of the way first, and then you children put on your oldest clothes, something that won’t be hurt with the paint; and we’ll go to work.” “You ought to have one of those ’lectric dish-washers, Nell,” said Harry energetically, getting up with a pile of dishes and starting toward the kitchen. “They got one down to the store on exhibition. Say, it’s great! You just stick ’em in, and they come out all washed and dried. I’ll buy you one some day when I get ahead a little.” “Do,” said Cornelia warmly, smiling. “That would be wonderful!”