hat she could find to do to support herself and
her child,--if it was all that she was good for in this world,--she
would do it and swallow her pride with her tears.

And she was sincerely grateful to Ernestine for the warm-hearted way in
which she had put her proposal, as if it were a real favor to her. She
made this one mental reservation to herself,--it should last only until
she found "something better" as a solution. When Milly told the little
girl of the new move, Virgie was delighted. "It'll be like having a real
man in the house again," she said. "We'll have to teach her how to speak
like we do, shan't we, mama?"

* * * * *

Ernestine came bubbling in the next day with a new inspiration.

"Been thinking of our scheme all night," she announced breathlessly,
"and couldn't attend to business I was so excited. Now this is the
conclusion I got to. You can't make a home in one of these flat-boxes,
can you?"

Milly agreed listlessly that they were a poor compromise for the real
thing.

"Well, I said to myself,--'Why not a real house?' So this morning I quit
work and took a taxi so's I could get over ground faster and went
down--"

"I know," Milly interrupted with a laugh,--"to number 232!"

"Yes! And they're there still, and I've got number 236! What do you
think of that? It don't take me long to do business when I got an
idea.... Of course there is that loft building opposite, but it's thin
and don't take much light.... So to-morrow, Mrs. Bragdon, you meet me at
luncheon and we'll go down and look over our new home!"

How could any one be doleful under so much joy? Milly kissed Ernestine
with genuine emotion.

"It will be splendid. Virgie will like a house so much more than this."

"Of course, of course--it's the only proper thing for a
family.... You'll have to do the whole thing, Madam." (Ernestine had
a curious shyness about using Milly's name.) "I'll give you 'Carter
Blanch' as they say.... Only one thing!"

She shook her thick finger at Milly solemnly.

"What's that?"

"Muslin curtains at all the front windows, and a real fireplace in the
livin'-room--"

"And window boxes at the windows and real oil lamps on the table, Mr.
Geyer!" Milly completed, entering into Ernestine's spirit.

"We'll be comfy and homelike, don't you think so?" Ernestine shouted
gleefully, putting an arm around Milly's soft figure. "Now I've got what
I want," she said almost solemnly.

"Do