inbow in silk and satin and lace, goin' past my
house 'thout lookin' at me any more'n I was one of them cobblestones.
'Good-day,' I says, and Mrs. Callahan says, says she, 'Good-day. It's
Mrs. Flannagan, ain't it?'--like she hain't been in and out of my house
these two years! 'Whar's the kittle-bilin' of you goin' to-day?' I
asked, and she tosses her head and says, says she, 'Oh, it don't agree
with the children's health to stay at home so clost. I'm takin' 'em on a
'scursion down the river to see the shows.' And they ain't come back
till dark, for I sat at my front window to see. There's where your
Charity money goes, ma'am."

Miss Margery sighed as her informer flaunted away. She must look into
the matter before giving any more grocery orders, and if Mrs. Callahan
was really wasting money, as Mrs. Flannagan declared, the Charities' aid
must be withdrawn.

The next morning, Peggy entered the office, her usually smiling face
very sober. Before Miss Margery had time to mention excursions and
grocery orders, Peggy made a request.

"If you please'm, lady," she said, "mommer says won't you give us a help
with the rent? It's due to-day and we're three dollars short."

"Didn't officer McFlaerty bring the money from your father on Monday?"

"Yessum, lady," confessed Peggy.

"Your mother told me she would put that aside for the rent--every cent
of it--and that it would leave her lacking only one dollar of the rent
money. Now you say she is three dollars short. Peggy, I am afraid your
family has been wasting money." The Charity lady spoke severely, mindful
of Mrs. Flannagan's tale. Peggy did not answer. She looked embarrassed,
and twisted her toe under a loose strip of matting. Miss Margery
continued, after a pause, "Mrs. Flannagan told me that you went on an
excursion Thursday."

Peggy brightened and dimpled. "Yessum, lady. We told her we was a-goin'.
It made her so mad. I wisht you could 'a' seen her flirt in and slam her
door." Peggy's merry laugh pealed forth. "And we told her we was a-goin'
to the shows, too."

"Peggy! do you think I ought to help you with the rent when you are
wasting money on excursions and shows?" Miss Margery frowned on Peggy's
mirth.

"Oh! why, ma'am!" Peggy seemed amazed that it was necessary to explain.
"We didn't go to no shows or no 'scursions. We weren't thinkin' 'bout
goin'. That was a lie. It was just to make Mrs. Flannagan mad. She put
on so many airs 'bout goin' street-car-ridin' la