a bit!" said Tom. "They will like it. It will be a lot of fun
for them, and you know it will, Laura. Would we like to be left out
of anything of that kind if we were visiting any one? Of course not.
I don't know Kitty as well as you do, but speaking for Billy I can
say that he would be mighty hurt if we did not treat him just as we
treat the rest of the family. He will think it is a jolly game."

"I am not afraid of how Kitty will take it, when I tell her it is
all for the benefit of Bobberts. She will be wild about the tariff.
The only thing I am afraid of is that she will go and buy things she
doesn't need or want, just in order that she can put money in
Bobberts' bank," said Mrs. Fenelby. "I told Bridget about the tariff
to-day, and she was so interested! Every one I tell about it thinks
it is a splendid idea, and wonders how you could think of it."

"I do think of some things that other people do not think of," said
Mr. Fenelby, rather proudly; "but that is because I accustom myself
to use my brains."

"But it is surprising how a little thing like this tariff counts
up!" said Mrs. Fenelby. "My bills this week were fourteen dollars,
and I had to put a dollar and forty cents into Bobberts' bank, and
then I had to pay Bridget's month's wages to-day, but I didn't have
to pay any tariff on that, and I had to pay the gas bill, too; but I
didn't have to pay any tariff on that, thank goodness--"

"Of course you have to pay tariff on the gas bill!" exclaimed Mr.
Fenelby. "The gas came into the house, didn't it?"

"But you said I didn't have to pay tariff on the rent bill," argued
Laura; "and the rent bill is just as much a bill as the gas bill is.
You know very well, Tom, that we always figure on those three things
as if they were just alike--the rent, and the gas, and Bridget,--and
I don't see why, if there is a tariff on gas why there should not be
one on rent."

"Rent isn't a thing that comes into the house," explained Mr.
Fenelby. "You can't _see_ rent."

"You can't see gas," said Mrs. Fenelby.

"You can see it if it is lighted," said Mr. Fenelby, "and you can
smell it any time you want to. Gas is a real object, or thing, and
we buy it, and it pays a duty."

"Very well," said Mrs. Fenelby. "Then I ought to pay duty on
Bridget, too. She is a real thing, and we pay money for her, just as
much as we do for gas, and she is a thing that comes into the house.
If I don't pay on Bridget, I don't see why I should pay o