“Why, what are you so fixed up for, Jimmie?” she asked.
Just then Lucy entered from the back yard with some flowers in her hand. It had rained during the night and the blossoms were wet and glistening.
“I’m going to take him to kindergarten,” Lucy explained. “He’s beginning this morning.” She was dressed for the street. “You can breakfast alone, can’t you, Mamma?”
“Why, of course!” explained Nannie. “That isn’t it. In fact you needn’t keep any breakfast for me when I’m not up to eat with you and John, as far as that’s concerned. I never want any extra trouble taken for me.”
“There’s the wagon! There’s the wagon!” shouted Dimmie impatiently as he ran in from the hall.
“Let me get your sailor hat,” said Lucy as she turned away, a note of impatience in her voice.
“What made you decide all of a sudden to send him to kindergarten?” asked Nannie. “It’s the first time I’ve heard of such a plan.”
“Hurry up,” commanded Dimmie. “They’ll go past.”
“They won’t go without you,” smiled Lucy. “Here’s your hat. Let me put it on for you.”
“Why are you sending him?” persisted Nannie.
“Why, he’s old enough to go, and he’s a good deal of bother, and John and I thought it would be good for him.”
“Come on, Mamma,” urged Dimmie, pulling at her skirt.
“Bother! I suppose it’s because I try to correct him a little occasionally. Oh, I comprehend perfectly, Lucy! You never let a chance slip to humiliate me and—”
The bell rang, and through the open front door a man’s voice was heard. Lucy went into the hall.
“Is your little boy going with us this morning?” the man inquired.
“Yes, we’re ready,” replied Lucy. “Come on, Son.”
Nannie heard them as they descended the steps. Dimmie’s shrill chatter was wafted back with the click of the gate, the crack of a whip, and the clatter of the horse’s hoofs as the carryall passed up the street.
John was much occupied with new work and, to Lucy’s relief, continued to neglect to carry into effect his threat regarding a servant. However, try as she might to keep down the level of her expenditures, on the first day of the next month she found herself faced with an unexpected deficit.
The evening meal was over and Nannie, according to her habit, had gone into the living room to play some of her songs. John rose and was about to follow her when Lucy called him back. He sat down again.
“I want you to go over some accounts with me, John.”
“What for?” he demurred.
“Well, we’re running behind, John, and we must do something about it.”
“We’ve always had to figure closely, Lucy.” John’s manner was nervous and instead of looking at his wife, he glanced about the room. “We’re not rich people but I don’t see why it should be any worse now than any other time.”
“Our expenses have about doubled since Mamma came,” persisted Lucy.
“Oh, I don’t think she’s had anything to do with it, or, at least, very little. One more person makes practically no difference.” John made a motion as if to rise.
“Just a minute, John. It isn’t the household expenses so much, John, but we are spending money on flowers and fruit and candy and theatres and other amusements that we didn’t use to. Miss Powell and other people have taken to dropping in to tea in the afternoon. And it all counts up.”
“Well, it’s a sort of special time, now that Nannie’s here.” John’s tone was half apologetic yet showed a tinge of irritation. His gaze kept wandering toward the living room. “We can’t make her stick in the house all the time, and never give her any little pleasures. I’ve only bought her flowers once or twice, anyway.”
“Yes, John, but Mamma may stay a long while. We can’t go on this way,” said Lucy gravely.
Nannie appeared in the doorway.
“Can’t go on what way?” she echoed interrogatively, smiling at John.
“Oh, Lucy is having her monthly fret over money matters,” John explained with uneasy lightness. “She has us in the poor house about once in so often.”
“What’s the matter, John? Is your business going badly?” Nannie inquired.
“Well, no worse than usual, Nannie, but it’s a small business and doesn’t bring us in as much as we’d like.”
“Mr. Sprague is a full partner with you, isn’t he?”
“Yes, but he’s a bachelor, and a half interest is enough for him to be comfortable on.”
“Jim gave John our interest in the business,” put in Lucy.
“Well, I’m sure he was thinking of his own good when he did so,” commented Nannie. “He probably had to have somebody.”
“Of course,” agreed Lucy hastily. “He needed a partner and was glad to get John.”
“Exactly. He knew what he was about,” averred Nannie. “Mr. Sprague is not the kind of a man to lose anything on account of friendship.”
“Jim is very loyal,” put in Lucy again, “and has been a good friend to John.”
“I didn’t say he wasn’t loyal, Lucy. I only said he knew which side his bread was buttered on,” retorted Nannie.
“Well, you implied that he was thinking only of himself, Mamma, and Jim is not a selfish man.”
“I guess I’ve not been a bad investment for the firm,” interrupted John, “even if I didn’t put any money into it at the first.”
“Well, I should fancy not!” Nannie applauded quickly.
“Of course not, John. That isn’t what I meant at all,” added Lucy. “Jim himself has said a dozen times that he couldn’t have gotten along without you. But I was just objecting to the idea that Jim had exploited you for his own interest without considering ours.”
“Lucy is always ready to defend Mr. Sprague,” remarked Nannie, smiling at John once more. “She’s loyal even if the rest of us may not be.”
John regarded Lucy an instant, then lowered his eyes.
“No, Mamma! That isn’t it,” said Lucy, flushing, “but I do so like
