used it to dust the furniture with. And she'd go on getting uglier and uglier now, for months and months, and feeling worse and worse
She was standing by the stove, an apron over her dress, frying croutons, when she heard the front door slam, and a moment later Joe's cold fresh face was against her scorched one.
"I stopped at Clark's and got some roses for the centerpiece."
"Oh, Joe! They're so expensive! And I've got the table all fixed!"
"Well, we can change it—we want things extra nice to-night. I will, Kate."
"No—Joe! Joe! Wait! Annie, can you just finish these? Don't let them get too brown. Joe! You go and get dressed, or you won't be ready."
And that kept him out of the way a little while. But when he was dressed he was wandering into the kitchen to ask if there was enough champagne on the ice, and where the decanter for the brandy was, until Lizzie was nearly distracted. And changing the dinner cards—Mrs. Cuthbert wasn't amusing enough to be on Mr. Donner's other side; Mrs. Palmer wasn't pretty enough.
"Where did you put Mrs. Martine, Kate?"
"Now, you're sure you understand, Annie? Light the candles just the very last minute before you announce dinner, and you will be careful of the candle shades?"
