ome out of a salary of twenty-five dollars
a week. Without extra expenses he seldom had more than a dollar left
on Saturday. By the strictest economy, he figured, it might be
possible to save five. To pay a bill of two hundred dollars would at
that rate require forty working weeks. By then the clothes would be
worn out.

It was facts like these that brought home to Don how little he was
earning, and that made that ten-thousand-dollar salary appear like an
actual necessity. It was facts like these that helped him to hold on.

But it was also facts like these that called his attention to this
matter of cost in other directions. Within the next two months, one
item after another of his daily life became reduced to figures, until
he lived in a world fairly bristling with price-tags. Collars were so
much apiece, cravats so much apiece, waistcoats and shoes and hats so
much. As he passed store windows the price-tags were the first thing
he saw. It seemed that everything was labeled, even such articles of
common household use as bed-linen, chairs and tables, carpets and
draperies. When they were not, he entered and asked the prices. It
became a passion with him to learn the cost of things.

It was toward the middle of May that Frances first mentioned a
possible trip abroad that summer.

"Dolly Seagraves is going, and wishes me to go with her," she
announced.

"It will take a lot of money," he said.

"What do you mean, Don?"

One idle evening he had figured the cost of the wedding trip they had
proposed. He estimated it at three years' salary.

"Well, the tickets and hotel bills--" he began.

"But, Don, dear," she protested mildly, "I don't expect you to pay my
expenses."

"I wish to Heavens I could, and go with you!"

"We had planned on June, hadn't we?" she smiled.

"On June," he nodded.

She patted his arm.

"Dear old Don! Well, I think a fall wedding would be nicer, anyway.
And Dolly has an English cousin or something who may have us
introduced at court. What do you think of that?"

"I'd rather have you right here. I thought after the season here I
might be able to see more of you."

"Nonsense! You don't think we'd stay in town all summer? Don, dear, I
think you're getting a little selfish."

"Well, you'd be in town part of the summer."

She shook her head.

"We shall sail early, in order to have some gowns made. But if you
could meet us there for a few weeks--you do have a vacation, don't
you?"