ood up.

"Very well, mother, I'll go," she said in a subdued voice. "When can you
be ready for me, Dorothy?" she continued.

"In a week's time," said Dorothy. "There are certain preliminaries to be
gone through, but I will send you a paper of our rules. You must fill up
a form--in short, you must do exactly what you are instructed to do on
the paper. You will probably be admitted before this day week."

Dorothy said a few more words, and then took her leave. Effie
accompanied her out on the landing.

"I think you make a mistake in letting Effie go, mother," said George,
when he was alone with his mother.

"Not at all, my son. The fact is, fond as I am of my dear Effie, she
takes almost too much control lately of our money affairs--I shall be
glad to get them into my own hands. There are very many comforts which I
could give you, darling, which are simply put out of my power by Effie's
determination to keep the family purse."

George said nothing. He stooped to kiss his mother's cheek.

He had not looked at matters from that point of view before. He allowed
his mother fifty pounds a year, which was half his present income, and
it suddenly occurred to him that he was making a very generous
allowance, and that he should have a full share of the benefit.

"What I have been thinking is this," said Mrs. Staunton. "Out of the
fifty pounds a year which you, dear boy, give us, we ought to provide a
certain portion of your wardrobe. You really want new shirts. I
suggested to Effie a week ago that I should like her to buy some fine
lawn, as I wanted to make them for you, and she said at once that we
could not afford it. But never mind, dearest; when mother is put into
her own position again, you shall have the best shirts of any young man
in the City."

Now, George was really satisfied with his present shirts, but if his
mother chose to make him better ones he did not care to oppose her. He
hoped that he would be asked out a little in the evenings during the
coming winter, and he wondered if his mother could possibly squeeze an
evening suit for him out of the allowance he gave her. He did not
express this thought, however, at the present moment, and as Effie
re-entered the room the two changed the conversation.

George went out for a little, and Effie took up some needlework, sitting
where the lamp in the center of the table fell full upon her bright
brown hair.

"I wonder, Effie," said Mrs. Staunton in a tone of almo