our raise! Why be a
'piker'?"

"Piker?" Honey exclaimed. "It'll be a regular debauch in clothes!"

"Debauch!" Skinner cried. "It'll be a riot!"

Honey clapped her hands delightedly.

"Is that all? Are you through with me? Are you finished with me
absolutely?"

Honey nodded.

"You're not holding anything in reserve to spring on me? If you've got
anything to say, say it now while I 'm in my agony--you can't hurt me
any more!"

"My love, you're the finished product!"

"Good!" Skinner paused; then with quiet, grim resolution: "Now, we'll
begin on you!"

"Me?" Honey cried.

"Yes, you! You don't suppose I 'm going to be the only one in this
outfit to be decked out in gay attire? What would they think if they
saw a resplendent individual like me and a shabby little wife? It
would be as bad as the man that went on his wedding trip alone because
he was too darned mean or too darned poor to take his wife along!"

"But _me_! I'm all right!"

"What have you got?" Skinner insisted grimly. He had borne the
gaff--now it was his turn to do some of the punishing, and he enjoyed
it. "What have you got?" he repeated.

"The beautiful pink dress I made over."

"Get it," said Skinner.

Already his tone was taking on an unaccustomed authority, and Honey
hastened to do as she was bid. She got the pretty, home-made thing and
laid it on the table.

"Put it on," Skinner ordered.

Honey got into the dress as quickly as her trembling fingers would
permit.

Skinner stood off and inspected her.

"That's a beautiful little dress for the house," he said finally, "but
it does n't match this dress suit. Incompatible is n't the word."

"Would n't this humble dress set off your clothes by contrast?" Honey
said, affecting meekness, her sense of humor getting the uppermost.

"Yes, but these clothes of mine would also set off that humble dress by
contrast, and that I won't have for a minute! You're the beauty spot
in this outfit, my dear," Skinner said tenderly, "not I. I 'm not
going to do the peacock act. I'm the quiet, dignified one. That's
what I affect. It rests with you to keep up the pulchritudinous end of
it. That's it! You've got to dress up to _this_!"

He smiled fondly at the shrinking Honey.

Honey began to tremble. Dearie had no idea of the cost of women's
clothes!

"Look here," Skinner went on, resuming the imperative, "I got this
dress suit at a first-class tailor's--you go to a first-clas