ed this amount to the list.

'I think it's a great pity we ever had the things at all,' he said,
peevishly. 'It would have been better to have gone without until we
could pay cash for them: but you would have your way, of course. Now
we'll have this bloody debt dragging on us for years, and before the
dam stuff is paid for it'll be worn out.'

The woman did not reply at once. She was bending down over the cradle
arranging the coverings which the restless movements of the child had
disordered. She was crying silently, unnoticed by her husband.

For months past--in fact ever since the child was born--she had been
existing without sufficient food. If Easton was unemployed they had to
stint themselves so as to avoid getting further into debt than was
absolutely necessary. When he was working they had to go short in
order to pay what they owed; but of what there was Easton himself,
without knowing it, always had the greater share. If he was at work
she would pack into his dinner basket overnight the best there was in
the house. When he was out of work she often pretended, as she gave
him his meals, that she had had hers while he was out. And all the
time the baby was draining her life away and her work was never done.

She felt very weak and weary as she crouched there, crying furtively
and trying not to let him see.

At last she said, without looking round:

'You know quite well that you were just as much in favour of getting
them as I was. If we hadn't got the oilcloth there would have been
illness in the house because of the way the wind used to come up
between the floorboards. Even now of a windy day the oilcloth moves up
and down.'

'Well, I'm sure I don't know,' said Easton, as he looked alternatively
at the list of debts and the three letters. 'I give you nearly every
farthing I earn and I never interfere about anything, because I think
it's your part to attend to the house, but it seems to me you don't
manage things properly.'

The woman suddenly burst into a passion of weeping, laying her head on
the seat of the chair that was standing near the cradle.

Easton started up in surprise.

'Why, what's the matter?' he said.

Then as he looked down upon the quivering form of the sobbing woman, he
was ashamed. He knelt down by her, embracing her and apologizing,
protesting that he had not meant to hurt her like that.

'I always do the best I can with the money,' Ruth sobbed. 'I never
spend a fa