Mrs. Jessup was an imported aunt, belonging to one of the cleverest girls, and Diantha had had her in training for some weeks.

"Well, I guess she"s as good as any you"d be likely to get," Mrs. Bell admitted, "and we mustn"t expect paragons. If this can"t be done by an average bunch of working women the world over, it can"t be done--that"s all!"

"It can be done," said the girl, calmly. "It will be done. You see."

"Mr. Thaddler says you could run any kind of a business you set your hand to," her mother went on. "He has a profound respect for your abilities, Dina."

"Seems to me you and Mr. Thaddler have a good deal to say to each other, motherkins. I believe you enjoy that caffeteria desk, and all the compliments you get."

"I do," said Mrs. Bell stoutly. "I do indeed! Why, I haven"t seen so many men, to speak to, since--why, never in my life! And they are very amusing--some of them. They like to come here--like it immensely. And I don"t wonder. I believe you"ll do well to enlarge."

Then they plunged into a discussion of the winter"s plans. The day service department and its employment agency was to go on at the New Union House, with Mrs. Jessup as manager; the present establishment was to be run as a hotel and restaurant, and the depot for the cooked food delivery.

Mrs. Thorvald and her husband were installed by themselves in another new venture; a small laundry outside the town. This place employed several girls steadily, and the motor wagon found a new use between meals, in collecting and delivering laundry parcels.

"It simplifies it a lot--to get the washing out of the place and the girls off my mind," said Diantha. "Now I mean to buckle down and learn the hotel business--thoroughly, and develop this cooked food delivery to perfection."

"Modest young lady," smiled her mother. "Where do you mean to stop--if ever?"

"I don"t mean to stop till I"m dead," Diantha answered; "but I don"t mean to undertake any more trades, if that is what you mean. You know what I"m after--to get "housework" on a business basis, that"s all; and prove, prove, PROVE what a good business it is. There"s the cleaning branch--that"s all started and going well in the day service. There"s the washing--that"s simple and easy. Laundry work"s no mystery. But the food part is a big thing. It"s an art, a science, a business, and a handicraft. I had the handicraft to start with; I"m learning the business; but I"ve got a lot to learn yet in the science and art of it."

"Don"t do too much at once," her mother urged. "You"ve got to cater to people as they are."

"I know it," the girl agreed. "They must be led, step by step--the natural method. It"s a big job, but not too big. Out of all the women who have done housework for so many ages, surely it"s not too much to expect one to have a special genius for it!"

Her mother gazed at her with loving admiration.

"That"s just what you have, Dina--a special genius for housework. I wish there were more of you!"

"There are plenty of me, mother dear, only they haven"t come out. As soon as I show "em how to make the thing pay, you"ll find that we have a big percentage of this kind of ability. It"s all buried now in the occasional "perfect housekeeper."

"But they won"t leave their husbands, Dina."

"They don"t need to," the girl answered cheerfully. "Some of them aren"t married yet; some of them have lost their husbands, and _some_ of them"--she said this a little bitterly--"have husbands who will be willing to let their wives grow."

"Not many, I"m afraid," said Mrs. Bell, also with some gloom.

Diantha lightened up again. "Anyhow, here you are, mother dear! And for this year I propose that you a.s.sume the financial management of the whole business at a salary of $1,000 "and found." How does that suit you?"

Mrs. Bell looked at her unbelievingly.

"You can"t afford it, Dina!"

"Oh, yes, I can--you know I can, because you"ve got the accounts. I"m going to make big money this year."

"But you"ll need it. This hotel and restaurant business may not do well."

"Now, mother, you _know_ we"re doing well. Look here!" And Diantha produced her note-book.

"Here"s the little laundry place; its fittings come to so much, wages so much, collection and delivery so much, supplies so much--and already enough patronage engaged to cover. It will be bigger in winter, a lot, with transients, and this hotel to fall back on; ought to clear at least a thousand a year. The service club don"t pay me anything, of course; that is for the girls" benefit; but the food delivery is doing better than I dared hope."

Mrs. Bell knew the figures better than Diantha, even, and they went over them carefully again. If the winter"s patronage held on to equal the summer"s--and the many transient residents ought to increase it--they would have an average of twenty families a week to provide for--one hundred persons.

The expenses were:

Food for 100 at $250 a week. Per capita. $600 --- per year $13,000

Labor--delivery man. $600 Head cook. $600 Two a.s.sistant cooks. $1,040 Three washers and packers. $1,560 Office girl. $520 --- Per year $4,320

Rent, kitchen, office, etc. $500 Rent of motor. $300 Rent of cases. $250 Gasolene and repairs. $630 --- Per year $1,680

Total. $19,000

"How do you make the gasolene and repairs as much as that?" asked Mrs.

Bell.

"It"s margin, mother--makes it even money. It won"t be so much, probably."

The income was simple and sufficient. They charged $5.00 a week per capita for three meals, table d"hote, delivered thrice daily. Frequent orders for extra meals really gave them more than they set down, but the hundred-person estimate amounted to $26,000 a year.

"Now, see," said Diantha triumphantly; "subtract all that expense list (and it is a liberal one), and we have $7,000 left. I can buy the car and the cases this year and have $1,600 over! More; because if I do buy them I can leave off some of the interest, and the rent of kitchen and office comes to Union House! Then there"s all of the extra orders. It"s going to pay splendidly, mother! It clears $70 a year per person. Next year it will clear a lot more."

It did not take long to make Mrs. Bell admit that if the business went on as it had been going Diantha would be able to pay her a salary of a thousand dollars, and have five hundred left--from the food business alone.

There remained the hotel, with large possibilities. The present simple furnishings were to be moved over to New Union House, and paid for by the girls in due time. With new paint, paper, and furniture, the old house would make a very comfortable place.

"Of course, it"s the restaurant mainly--these big kitchens and the central location are the main thing. The guests will be mostly tourists, I suppose."

Diantha dwelt upon the prospect at some length; and even her cautious mother had to admit that unless there was some setback the year had a prospect of large success.

"How about all this new furnishing?" Mrs. Bell said suddenly. "How do you cover that? Take what you"ve got ahead now?"

"Yes; there"s plenty," said Diantha. "You see, there is all Union House has made, and this summer"s profit on the cooked food--it"s plenty."

"Then you can"t pay for the motor and cases as you planned," her mother insisted.

"No, not unless the hotel and restaurant pays enough to make good. But I don"t _have_ to buy them the first year. If I don"t, there is $5,500 leeway."

"Yes, you are safe enough; there"s over $4,000 in the bank now," Mrs.

Bell admitted. "But, child," she said suddenly, "your father!"

"Yes, I"ve thought of father," said the girl, "and I mean to ask him to come and live at the hotel. I think he"d like it. He could meet people and talk about his ideas, and I"m sure I"d like to have him."

They talked much and long about this, till the evening settled about them, till they had their quiet supper, and the girls came home to their noisy one; and late that evening, when all was still again, Diantha came to the dim piazza corner once more and sat there quite alone.