ster, vigorously.

"How, please?"

"We could walk."

"Why, Lyd! It's fifty miles if it's a step!"

"It's nearer seventy. Takes two hours on the train to the nearest station;
and then you ride up the mountain a long, long way. But we could walk it."

"And be tramps--regular tramps," cried 'Phemie.

"Well, I'd rather be a tramp than a pauper," declared the older sister,
vigorously.

"But poor father!"

"That's just it," agreed Lydia. "Of course, we can do nothing of the kind.
We cannot leave him while he is sick, nor can we take him out there to
Hillcrest if he gets on his feet again----"

"Oh, Lyddy! don't talk that way. He _is_ going to be all right after a
few days' rest."

"I do not think he will ever be well if he goes back to work in that hat
factory. If we could only get him to Hillcrest."

"And there we'd all starve to death in a hurry," grumbled 'Phemie,
punching the hard, little boarding-house pillow. "Oh, dear! what's the use
of talking? There is no way out!"

"There's always a way out--if we think hard enough," returned her sister.

"Wish you'd promulgate one," sniffed 'Phemie.

"I am going to think--and you do the same."

"I'm going to----"

"Snore!" finished 'Phemie. That ended the discussion for the time being.
But Lydia lay awake and racked her tired brain for hours.

The pale light of the raw March morning streaked the window-pane when
Lydia was awakened by her sister hurrying into her clothes for the day's
work at the millinery store. There would be but two days more for her
there.

And then?

It was a serious problem. Lydia had perhaps ten dollars in her reserve
fund. Father might not be paid for his full week if he did not go back to
the shop. His firm was not generous, despite the fact that Mr. Bray had
worked so long for them. A man past forty, who is frequently sick a day
or two at a time, soon wears out the patience of employers, especially
when there is young blood in the firm.

'Phemie would get her week's pay Saturday night. Altogether, Lyddy might
find thirty dollars in her hand with which to face the future for all
three of them!

What could she get for their soaked furniture? These thoughts were with
her while she was dressing.

'Phemie had hurried away after making her sister promise to telephone as
to her father's condition the minute they allowed Lyddy to see him at
the hospital. Aunt Jane was a luxurious lie-abed, and had ordered tea
and toast for nine o'cloc