ort, halfway down the stairs, and so suddenly that Mr.
Wingate remonstrated.

"If you'd give warning of these spasmodic actions of yours, it would be
more comfortable for those depending on you. There, please move along."

"The rent? I had not thought. Didn't my mother attend to that?"

"For the first quarter year, she did. To whom must I look now?"

Unmindful, since this new distressing question had been raised, how much
she inconvenienced him, Amy sat plump down and leaned her head against
the hand-rail.

It always appeared to aid her reflective powers if she could rest her
troubled head against something material.

"I'll try to think. I earn two dollars and a half a week."

"Oh, my foot hurts again. Let's get into a decent room and talk it over
there. I hate draughty halls and unwarmed rooms. There's a fire in the
little side parlor off the dining room. That's my own private den. I
want to get there and lie down. That rabbit pie I had for lunch doesn't
agree with me, I'm afraid. Do you like rabbit pie?"

"No, indeed; I wouldn't eat one for anything."

"Why not?"

"I should fancy the pretty creatures looking at me with their soft eyes.
They're the gentlest animals in the world."

"The most destructive, you mean."

She did not contest. Besides, she was now in great haste to leave
Fairacres and regain the shelter of her own home. Strange, she
reflected, how quickly she had ceased to think of this house, her
birthplace, as a home; since all that went to make it such had gone
elsewhere.

"About that rent money. If Hallam is able to keep at work we may
together earn five dollars a week. That would be twenty dollars a month.
The rent is ten. We will be able to pay it, I think."

"Do you imagine you will be able to live upon the remainder? Upon two
and a half dollars a week, four grown persons?"

"If we have no more, we shall have to do so, shan't we?"

"Excuse me; but what would you eat? I saw no sign of scrimping and
pinching that day I first came here--to stay."

"Oh, then Cleena was determined you should say no blame of her
housekeeping. She gave you all in one meal. We've often laughed over it
since."

"Humph! But this two and a half per week, what would it buy?"

"Meal and milk. Sometimes oat meal, sometimes corn. Once and again an
egg or something for father. Oh, we'd manage."

"Hmm, hmm; you'd rather live on that than run in debt? You younger
Kayes, who are all I seem to take account of now--