Page:The New-Year's Bargain (1884).djvu/64

 "Oh!" stammered Max, dreadfully ashamed of himself, "I do. I'd just as lief hear it as not. And I beg your pardon, if I spoke rudely."

"Very well then," said April, pacified. "If you feel that way, I'll proceed. This doll lived in a closet. I should never have come across her probably if it hadn't been for the house-cleaning.

"You must know that there are countries in the world where every spring and fall the houses are all turned upside down and inside out, and then downside up and outside in, all for the sake of being clean. The women do it. What becomes of the men I don't know: they climb trees or something to be out of the way, I suppose. I like these times, of all things. I like to swing the heavy carpets to and fro on the lines, and flap the maids' aprons into their faces as they stand on the ledge outside to wash the windows. It is great fun. And I love to creep into holes and corners, and rummage and poke about to see what folks have got. And one