young woman before him. "Do you mean to say you paid for them out of
your own wages?"

The nurse nodded.

"Then all I have to say is that I consider it an extremely idiotic
performance which had better be stopped. Children should not be
indulged."

And he went away muttering something about the poor always remaining
poor with their foolish notions of throwing away money; and Margaret
MacLean went back to the book of faery-tales. But as she was looking
for the place Sandy grunted forth stubbornly:

"A'm no wantin' ony scones the nicht, so ye maun na fetch them."

And Peter piped out, "Trusterday, ain't it, Miss Peggie?"

"Yes, dear. Now shall we go on with the story?"

She had read to where the rat was demanding the passport when she
recognized the President's step outside the door. In another moment he
was standing beside her chair, looking at the book on her knee.

"Humph! faery-tales! Is that not very foolish? Don't you think, Miss
Margaret, it would be more suitable to their condition in life if you
should select--hmm--something like _Pilgrim's Progress_ or _Lives of
the Saints and Martyrs_? Something that would be a preparation--so to
speak--for the future." He stood facing her now, his back to the
children.

"Excuse me"--she was smiling up at him--"but I thought this was a
better preparation."

The President frowned. He was a much-tried man--a man of charitable
parts, who directed or presided over thirty organizations. It took him
nearly thirty days each month--with the help of two private secretaries
and a luxurious office--to properly attend to all the work resulting
therefrom; and the matters in hand were often so trying and perplexing
that he had to go abroad every other year to avoid a nervous breakdown.

"I think we took up this matter at one of the business meetings," he
went on, patiently, "and some arrangement was made for one of the
trustees to come and read the Bible and teach the children their
respective creeds and catechisms."

Margaret MacLean nodded. "There was; Miss N----"--and she named the
Youngest and Prettiest Trustee--"generally comes an hour before the
meeting and reads to them; but to-day she was detained by a--tango tea,
I believe. That's why I chose this." Her eyes danced unconsciously as
she tapped the book.

The President looked at her sharply. "I should think, my dear young
lady, that you, of all persons, would realize what a very serious thing
life is