on the desk before him; so, also, was the family checkbook which had
been, until the illness of Mrs. Dott, in that lady's sole charge.

"Matter?" he repeated. "Matter? Humph! Do I look as if somethin' was the
matter? Where have you been?"

"I have been out. Mother was so anxious about the election that I
promised her I would see Mrs. Black and some of the others this very
day. I have been calling on them."

"Have, hey? Well, what's the prospect? The cause of right and Black, and
justice and Dott is goin' to prevail, I presume likely, isn't it?"

"I don't know. I couldn't find out anything. Mrs. Black was not in, at
least that is what the maid said; but I am almost sure she was in. I
think I saw her peeping between the curtains as I went down the steps."

"That so? Perhaps she was dosin' you with the same medicine I handed her
when she called that first day after Serena was taken down."

"I thought of that. But I called on three other leaders of Mother's
party--"

"Yours and your mother's, you mean?"

"Yes, of course. I called on three of our leaders. Two of them were
in and I talked with them. I could learn nothing from either about the
election. They would not discuss it, except to say that everything would
be all right. They behaved so oddly and were so embarrassed. It was
perfectly obvious that they wanted to get rid of me. I can't understand
it."

"There's lots of things we can't understand in this world. Don't fret
your mother about it."

"I shan't, of course. But what is troubling you, Daddy? Something, I
know."

"Look that way, do I? My looks don't belie me, then. See here, Gertie,
I'm stumped. I've been goin' over back bills and the bankbook and the
checkbook and--and--well, I'm on my beam ends, that's where I am."

"Why? Don't the books balance?"

"They balance all right. That's what's kicked me over. If they're
true--course they can't be, but IF they are--we've spent close to five
thousand dollars since we made this town."

"Indeed! Well?"

"WELL! Five thousand dollars! I'm sayin' five THOUSAND; do you
understand?"

"I understand. I'm not surprised. Living as we do, and moving in the--in
the best society as we have, the expense is large, naturally. You must
expect that."

"Expect! Gertie Baker Dott, STOP talkin' that way! Our income, not
countin' what the store at Trumet is fetchin' in, ain't over six
thousand at the outside. Six thousand a YEAR, that is. And we've got rid
of five thousa