"For the land sake!"

"I guess," Lena went on with complacence, "Mr. Percival must have said

something pretty nice."

Her mother stared at her speechless, and it was such an unusual thing

for Mrs. Quincy to be struck dumb that Lena was correspondingly elated

as she rattled on.

"Such dresses! I'd give anything to have such clothes and wear them with

that kind of an every-day, don't-care air. My, but Mrs. Lenox is a

stunner! But the Lenoxes are just rolling in money; and they say Mr.

Lenox hadn't a red cent when she married him and gave him his start.

It's lucky I have another check coming from the Star. I'll need more

things than ever it will buy to go out there. I must begin to get ready

right away."

The mention of expenditure brought Mrs. Quincy back to her normal state

of mind, and she resumed her rocking. Lena's means and extremes in

shopping were her standard grievance.

"I might know that 'ud be the next thing. Of course you'll be spending

every penny you can rake and scrape on clothes, so's to look fine for

your new fine friends. It's no matter about me. I can go without a

decent rag to my back, so long as you've got feathers and flummery."

"Well, I earned the money. I don't see why I shouldn't spend it. I'm not

robbing you," said Lena sulkily.

"You might contribute a mite to your own board."

"I'll save you my board for a week," snapped the girl.

Mrs. Quincy changed her tack. "And leave me shut up in town," she

resumed. "I should think you'd think twice, Lena, before you went off

gallivantin' and left your poor old mother here alone. Nobody seems to

think I need any pleasure."

"I'll write and ask Mrs. Lenox if she won't take you instead of me."

"Take me! I should think not! I wouldn't be hired to leave my own place

and go off like a charity case among a lot of rich people who looked

down on me because I was poor. I've got too much self-respect to jump at

an invitation, like a pickerel at a frog. But there! You never think

twice about things."

"Suppose I did refuse. You'd fly out at me for not making the most of my

chances," said poor Lena, on the verge of tears.

Mrs. Quincy was temporarily silenced by the truth of this reply, and

Lena pursued her advantage.

"Come now, mother, do you want me to get out of it?"

"Oh, I suppose you'll have to go, or I won't have no peace to my life,"

Mrs. Quincy grudgingly responded.

"Yes, you shall. If you say so, I'll give it up now and never say

another word about it."




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