to your hotel, if
you wish to engage your room, but you must come back and have tea with
us. We have hot rolls, honey, and fresh milk for supper. There is no use
in your denying that is your favorite evening meal."

"I don't want to deny it, Mrs. Thurston," was Mr. Stuart's answer, as he
stepped into his car. "I will come back with pleasure. On my way to the
hotel I shall call at the doctor's and ask him to come around and look
after Bab's foot."

CHAPTER II

NEW LIGHT ON OLD PAPERS

"Mother, you are worried about something," said Barbara to her mother
early the next morning as they sat alone in their little dining room,
which was bright with the September sun.

Mrs. Thurston started nervously. She had been thinking so deeply that
Bab's voice had startled her.

Mollie and Ruth had rushed off early to find Grace and bring her back
with them. Susan, the maid, was in the yard hanging up her dish towels.
Mrs. Thurston had supposed Bab was deep in reading the history of David
Copperfield, which lay open on her lap.

"You don't answer me, mother," complained Barbara, as she saw her
mother's face flush under her gaze. "You might as well ''fess up' and be
done with it. I know there is something wrong."

Mrs. Thurston hesitated; then she answered quietly: "You are right, Bab,
dear. I am very much worried and it is about money. But I did not want
you children to know of it until I was obliged to tell you. Barbara, half
of our income is gone!"

"Oh, mother!" cried Barbara, "what do you mean?"

"Well, dear," said her mother quietly, "the money has not entirely gone
yet. But I fear it soon will go. Your uncle wrote me that some stock he
bought for me had been going down, down, until finally it will cease
paying dividends altogether and be of no value. How shall we manage then?
I have been lying awake at night trying to plan. You know it takes every
cent we have to live in even the simplest way. Oh, Bab, what shall we
do?"

Barbara looked grave. "Did Uncle Ralph write you about this?"

"Oh, yes," said Mrs. Thurston, "two or three weeks ago. I have had it on
my mind ever since. Your uncle used to own some of this same stock, but
he wrote me he had sold out some time ago."

"It is strange he didn't tell us to sell at the same time," Barbara
reflected. "What does Uncle Ralph propose that we do? He is so rich I
think he might show some interest in you, poor dear. You are his only
sister, especially since he has