replied Alice. "What theater did he say he was going to open at?"

"The New Columbia. It's one of the nicest in New York, too."

"Oh, I'm so glad. Now we can go to a play once in a while--I'm almost
starved for the sight of the footlights, and to hear the orchestra
tuning up. And you know, while he had no engagement dad wouldn't let
us take advantage of his professional privilege, and present his card
at the box office."

"Yes, I know he is peculiar that way. But I shall be glad, too, to
attend a play now and again. I'm getting quite rusty. I did so want
to see Maude Adams when she was here. But--"

"I'd never have gone in the dress I had!" broke in Alice. "I want
something pretty to wear; don't you?"

"Of course I do, dear. But with things the way they were--"

"We had to eat our prospective dresses," laughed Alice. "It was like
being shipwrecked, when the sailors have to cut their boots into
lengths and make a stew of them."

"Alice!" cried Ruth, rather shocked.

"It was so!" affirmed the other. "Why, you must have read of it
dozens of times in those novels you're always poring over. The hero
and heroine on a raft--she looks up into his eyes and sighs. 'Have
another morsel of boot soup, darling!' Why, the time dad had to use
the money he had half promised me for that charmeuse, and we bought
the supper at the delicatessen--you know, when Mr. Blake stopped and
you asked him to stay to tea, when there wasn't a thing in the house
to eat--do you remember that?"

"Yes, but I don't see what it has to do with shipwrecked sailors
eating their boots. Really, Alice--"

"Of course it was just the same," explained the younger girl,
merrily. "There was nothing fit to give Mr. Blake, and I took the
money that was to have been paid for my charmeuse, and slipped out to
Mr. Dinkelspatcher's--or whatever his name is--and bought a meal.
Well, we ate my dress, that's all, Ruth."

"Why, Alice!"

"And I wish we had it to eat over again," went on the other, with a
half sigh. "I don't know what we are going to do for supper. How much
have we in the purse?"

"Only a few dollars."

"And we must save that, I suppose, until dad gets some salary, which
won't be for a time yet. And we really ought to celebrate in some
way, now that he's had this bit of good luck! Oh, isn't it just awful
to be poor!"

"Hush, Alice! The neighbors will hear you. The walls of this
apartment house are so terribly thin!"

"I don't care if they do