t?"

"Oh! not for money!" Nattie answered, with a slight contempt for that
necessary and convenient article. "I am ambitious for fame! I want to be
a writer; but when I think of the obstacles in my way to an opening,
even, in that direction, I am daunted. I have attacks of energy, it is
true, but I fear it is fitful; it comes and goes."

"I understand," Cyn replied, with more than wonted seriousness. "Your
ambition is great enough to render you useless and discontented, but you
need something to stimulate your energy, else it will waste itself in
idle dreams. Perhaps love may come to be that motive power; perhaps--"
and a shade crossed her sunny face--"some great disappointment."

There was a moment's silence, Nattie pondering thoughtfully on these
words; and then Cyn continued,

"But in the meantime, since you can at present accomplish nothing, why
not get all the enjoyment you can out of life, as it goes? So, when the
opportunity comes, and you seize it, you will not have to look back on
years wasted in vain longings for the then unattainable. _That_ is my
philosophy--and I, too, am ambitious."

"Your philosophy is cheery, at least," said Nattie, smiling. "But I am
afraid it is very hard for ambitious people to take life easy: and that
is not all of my troubles," she continued, gayly, "I can't get anything
good to eat!"

"Poor child," said Cyn, with mock seriousness, "this _is_ coming from the
sublime to the ridiculous. What is the cause of the lamentable fact?"

"Oh! I am so tired of both boarding-houses and restaurants. In the
former they never have what one likes--and ah! such steak!--while in
the latter you have to pick out all the cheap dishes, or ruin yourself
at a meal."

Cyn laughed.

"I assure you I can appreciate your feelings, from sad experience! I,
myself, am positively longing for a nice sirloin steak." Then, a sudden
thought striking her, "I will tell you what we will do, Nat, we will
have a little feast!"

"A feast?" repeated Nattie, not exactly comprehending.

"Yes--I have a little gas stove--low be it said, lest Mrs. Simonson hear
and bring in a terrific bill for extra gas!--I use it sometimes to cook
my dinner, when I do not feel like going out, and why should we not have
a feast all to ourselves some day? and the sirloin steak shall be
forthcoming! and what do you say to Charlotte Russe? In short, we will
have everything we can think of, and you shall be assistant cook!"

"That would