ng," was Edith's sharp response. "A mattress and more blankets. I
found there weren't half enough in the house."

"You burned John's, didn't you?"

"Naturally!"

All at once both grew ashamed.

"Let's be sensible," Deborah said. "We must do something, Edith--and we
can't till we're certain where we stand."

"Very well--"

They went on more calmly and took up the items one by one. Deborah finished
and was silent.

"Well, father, what's to be done?" she asked.

"I don't know," he answered shortly.

"Somehow or other," Deborah said, "we've got to cut our expenses down."

"I'm afraid that's impossible," Edith rejoined. "I've already cut as much
as I can."

"So did I, in my school," said her sister. "And when I thought I had
reached the end, I called in an expert. And he showed me ways of saving I
had never dreamed of."

"What kind of expert would you advise here?" Edith's small lip curled in
scorn.

"Domestic science, naturally--I have a woman who does nothing else. She
shows women in their homes just how to make money count the most."

"What women? And what homes? Tenements?"

"Yes. She's one of my teachers."

"Thank you!" said Edith indignantly. "But I don't care to have my children
brought down to tenement standards!"

"I didn't mean to _have_ them! But I know she could show you a great many
things you can buy for less!"

"I'm afraid I shouldn't agree with her!"

"Why not, Edith?"

"Because she knows only tenement children--nothing of children bred like
mine!"

Deborah drew a quick short breath, her brows drew tight and she looked
away. She bit her lip, controlled herself:

"Very well, I'll try again. This house is plenty large enough so that by a
little crowding we could make room for somebody else. And I know a teacher
in one of my schools who'd be only too glad--"

"Take a boarder, you mean?"

"Yes, I do! We've got to do something!"

"No!"

Deborah threw up her hands:

"All right, Edith, I'm through," she said. "Now what do you propose?"

"I can try to do without Hannah again--"

"That will be hard--on all of us. But I guess you'll have to."

"So it seems."

"But unfortunately that won't he enough."

Edith's face grew tenser:

"I'm afraid it will have to be--just now--I've had about all I can stand
for one night!"

"I'm sorry," Deborah answered. For a moment they confronted each other. And
Edith's look said to Deborah plainly, "You're spending thousands,
thousands, on th