ke and half a dozen words exchanged in the street, would have
been intolerable in "Robinson's," under the eyes of his satellites. Yet
for the Millars to have refrained altogether from going to the one great
shop in the town, where women oft did congregate, would have been to
expose an event, the participators in which devoutly hoped was buried in
oblivion. They had been in Miss Franklin's department without anything
untoward happening; but it was neither "Robinson's" nor the person who
served them there that flashed like lightning across Annie's thoughts at
this crisis. It was the articles the girls had been buying, the Tussore
silk and Torchon lace for frocks that Annie and Dora had meant to wear
at a garden-party--for which the Dyers, the new people who had come to
Redcross Manor-house, had sent out invitations. If the Millars were
ruined, they were not likely to go to many more garden-parties, and
though the sisters might still want frocks, yet frocks of Tussore silk
trimmed with Torchon lace--granted that the materials had appeared a
modest and becoming wear for a doctor's daughters an hour before--might
not be quite an appropriate selection in the family's altered
circumstances.

"It depends upon what you call ruin," Mrs. Millar was saying
falteringly, "and of course the bank's assets may turn out better than
is thought just now, though your father is far from hopeful. He says all
his savings will go, and he may count on having to pay bank 'calls' on
his income till the business is wound up, which may not be in his
lifetime. No doubt he is taking the darkest view of things at present."
Then she yielded to the relief of pouring forth some of the coming woes
in detail. "Oh, my dears, your father says, though nothing can be
settled in a moment, there is one thing certain--this house must be
given up."

"Our house!" cried both of the girls in dismay.

"Where we were all born, where father himself was born," pleaded Dora,
still hanging about her mother.

"The Old Doctor's House--why, it seems to belong to the practice,"
protested Annie, sitting down, taking off her hat and tossing it on the
bed as if the better to realize the situation.

"No, I don't think it would hurt the practice--not in a town the size of
Redcross, where everybody would know where your father was to be found,
though he were to change his house again and again. Still it does seem
hard," she admitted, as she covertly wiped away a tear, "particula