“Boil, you mean?” corrected Miss Campbell. “Certainly. There is a clothes boiler, and goodness knows the things need it, and a good bleaching afterwards in the sun. They are as yellow as gold.”
When Alberdina, the new German-Swiss maid, had alighted from the train with her absurd little iron-bound trunk, about as big as a bread basket, Billie had felt no misgivings. Here, indeed, was a creature too healthy to know the name of fear, and too good-natured to object to hard work. The brilliant red cheeks and broad engaging smile immediately decided Billie to put all her accumulated linen in wash at once.
On top of Alberdina’s large peasant head was perched a small round hat, positively the most ludicrous thing ever seen in the shape of millinery. With its band of red satin ribbon and tiny bunch of field flowers, it seemed to defy the world to find anything funnier.
“It’s a real comedy hat,” Dr. Hume observed. “The kind they wear when they sing:
“‘Hi-lee-hi-lo-hi-lee-hi-lo,
I joost come over; I joost come over.’”
“But she’s really a ministering angel, you know,” said Billie, “sent to do the washing and ironing and scullery work. Except for cooking meals, we expect to take life easy from now on.”
And so, right gladly, they had carried Alberdina Schoenbachler over the twenty-five miles of mountain road and established her in Sunrise Camp.
“I think she is the very person we needed, Cousin Helen,” Billie said. “Not accomplished, you know, or trained in any way, but good enough for camping. And there is no reason now why we shouldn’t take the trip to the lower lake if you feel well enough. The weather is perfect.”
“Do you think we ought to leave her on the first day?” Miss Campbell replied somewhat doubtfully.
“Why not? She has enough to occupy her, goodness knows, with all that washing.”