Page:Far from the Maddening Girls.djvu/51

 flies on a cantaloupe rind; and the sound of their hammers, heard from a distance as I approached, suggested that Senorita Goliath was engaged in doing a castanet dance. The rooms were partitioned off by timbers, in readiness for lathing. Gradually the roof spread over me the protection of shingle blessedness. It was a scene of magnificent industry and diligence, upon which I was content to gaze for hours, as if I had been one entranced. There was but one small cloud upon the firmament of my satisfaction.

Although she lived a mile away, I soon found that Miss Susie Berrith was as prone to running over as a drinking-trough. She was constantly on the scene, leaning against a red cedar which stood near to the piazza, and observing operations with an attentive eye. No doubt she was a very nice girl in her way, but she was also in mine, and I resented it. After all, a promising house is not a performing bear. I am afraid I was not overcordial