s to
the desk.

"Oh, Hugh!" cried Ivy deprecatingly.

"It was dead easy! Hardest part was to keep it quiet so to surprise
you. It wouldn't do to get too friendly or I'd a blurted it out!"

Hugh's head was bending over the desk, dangerously close to Ivy as it
proved, for she gave his hair a sudden pull.

"Oh, Hugh, you good-for-nothing!" she cried.

CHAPTER XIII

THE CRIMSON BAG

"Uncle Fred, I'm going to play being poor for a whole week," said
Alene, meeting Mr. Dawson at the gate one evening.

"What put that idea into your head, child?"

"You see it's so much more exciting to do things when you haven't
money! We felt quite hilarious this afternoon when Nettie discovered
that one could get a great big sugar cake for a cent at the new bakery.
It was Ivy's treat and we all went in a crowd and bought half a dozen
for five cents! We really don't see how they can afford to give such
big ones!"

"They depend on large sales and small profits, no doubt; besides it
will attract other customers. A good advertisement too, for here am I,
for one, who would have gone past the new bakery a hundred times, never
once glancing that way, never dreaming of those elephantine sugar
cakes, were it not for you! Are you sure the bakery didn't bribe you
girls to sound their praises?"

"The idea!"

"It's not so foolish after all; I'm almost famished for one of those
sugar cakes. Greedy Alene, to devour them every one!"

"No, I did not! There was Laura and Ivy, and Nettie and Claude, and
Lois and little Elmer, besides myself, to divide among!"

"Which suggests my school days and problems in arithmetic! I think
this would be a question in short division or would it be short cake?"

"No, indeed! We all had almost enough! But, Uncle, do behave! Here's
my purse; I want you to keep it."

"'With all my lordly goods I thee endow!' Why, thank you, Miss Dawson!
I hear the gold pieces clinking! But I don't know if my mamma will
allow me to accept such valuable presents!"

There was a little gurgling laugh from Alene.

"Do let me finish! I only want you to keep it for me until the end of
the week!"

"Indian giver! Indian giver! Take your old purse! I guess it was
only the clink of pennies I heard, anyway!"

Alene clasped her hands behind her back.

"You must keep it or I can't play being poor! Now Uncle, won't you be
good! I feel so ashamed to have so much when the other girls have so
little, and I want