ow remained to be done but to put some coal and wood ready in
the fender so that there would be no unnecessary delay in the morning.

The baby was still sleeping and Ruth did not like to wake him up yet to
dress him for the night. Easton was sitting by the fire smoking, so
everything being done, Ruth sat down at the table and began sewing.
Presently she spoke:

'I wish you'd let me try to let that back room upstairs: the woman next
door has got hers let unfurnished to an elderly woman and her husband
for two shillings a week. If we could get someone like that it would
be better than having an empty room in the house.'

'And we'd always have them messing about down here, cooking and washing
and one thing and another,' objected Easton; 'they'd be more trouble
than they way worth.'

'Well, we might try and furnish it. There's Mrs Crass across the road
has got two lodgers in one room. They pay her twelve shillings a week
each; board, lodging and washing. That's one pound four she has coming
in reglar every week. If we could do the same we'd very soon be out of
debt.'

'What's the good of talking? You'd never be able to do the work even
if we had the furniture.'

'Oh, the work's nothing,' replied Ruth, 'and as for the furniture,
we've got plenty of spare bedclothes, and we could easily manage
without a washstand in our room for a bit, so the only thing we really
want is a small bedstead and mattress; we could get them very cheap
second-hand.'

'There ought to be a chest of drawers,' said Easton doubtfully.

'I don't think so,' replied Ruth. 'There's a cupboard in the room and
whoever took it would be sure to have a box.'

'Well, if you think you can do the work I've no objection,' said
Easton. 'It'll be a nuisance having a stranger in the way all the
time, but I suppose we must do something of the sort or else we'll have
to give up the house and take a couple of rooms somewhere. That would
be worse than having lodgers ourselves.

'Let's go and have a look at the room,' he added, getting up and taking
the lamp from the wall.

They had to go up two flights of stairs before arriving at the top
landing, where there were two doors, one leading into the front
room--their bedroom--and the other into the empty back room. These two
doors were at right angles to each other. The wallpaper in the back
room was damaged and soiled in several places.

'There's nearly a whole roll of this paper on the top of the c