owing
exactly what you're going to do with it, and when you come back it's
all gone and next to nothing to show for it.'

His wife made no reply: her head was bent over the child.

'Now, let's see,' went on her husband. 'First of all there's the rent.
How much did you say we owe?'

'Four weeks. That's the three weeks you were out and this week.'

'Four sixes is twenty-four; that's one pound four,' said Easton as he
wrote it down. 'Next?'

'Grocer, twelve shillings.'

Easton looked up in astonishment.

'Twelve shillings. Why, didn't you tell me only the other day that
you'd paid up all we owed for groceries?'

'Don't you remember we owed thirty-five shillings last spring? Well,
I've been paying that bit by bit all the summer. I paid the last of it
the week you finished your last job. Then you were out three weeks--up
till last Friday--and as we had nothing in hand I had to get what we
wanted without paying for it.'

'But do you mean to say it cost us three shillings a week for tea and
sugar and butter?'

'It's not only them. There's been bacon and eggs and cheese and other
things.'

The man was beginning to become impatient.

'Well,' he said, 'What else?'

'We owe the baker eight shillings. We did owe nearly a pound, but I've
been paying it off a little at a time.'

This was added to the list.

'Then there's the milkman. I've not paid him for four weeks. He
hasn't sent a bill yet, but you can reckon it up; we have two penn'orth
every day.'

'That's four and eight,' said Easton, writing it down. 'Anything else?'

'One and seven to the greengrocer for potatoes, cabbage, and paraffin
oil.'

'Anything else?'

'We owe the butcher two and sevenpence.'

'Why, we haven't had any meat for a long time,' said Easton. 'When was
it?'

'Three weeks ago; don't you remember? A small leg of mutton,'

'Oh, yes,' and he added the item.

'Then there's the instalments for the furniture and oilcloth--twelve
shillings. A letter came from them today. And there's something
else.'

She took three letters from the pocket of her dress and handed them to
him.

'They all came today. I didn't show them to you before as I didn't
want to upset you before you had your tea.'

Easton drew the first letter from its envelope.

CORPORATION OF MUGSBOROUGH
General District and Special Rates
FINAL NOTICE

MR W. EASTON,

I ha