ey was in considerable doubt as to his ability to live on ten
dollars a week and support Phoebe, as well as to begin the task of
reimbursing Nellie for her years of sacrifice. Still, it was better
than nothing at all, so he accepted Mr. Davis' ten-dollar-a-week offer
and sat back to wait for the coming of the first of May.

In the meantime he would give Nellie some return for her money by
doing the work now performed by Annie--or, more advisedly speaking, a
portion of it. He would conduct Phoebe to the kindergarten and call
for her at the close of sessions, besides dressing her in the morning,
sewing on buttons for her, undressing her at night, and all such jobs
as that, with the result that Annie came down a dollar a week in her
wages and took an extra afternoon out. In this way he figured he could
save Nellie at least thirty dollars. He also did the janitor's work
about the place and looked after the furnace, creating a salvage of
three dollars and a half a month. Moreover, instead of buying a new
winter suit and replacing his shabby ulster with one more comely and
presentable, he decided to wear his fall suit until January and then
change off to his old blue serge spring suit, which still seemed far
from shiny, so far as he could see.

And so it was that Nellie's monthly check for $150 did very nicely.

Any morning at half-past eight, except Sunday, you could have seen him
going down the street with Phoebe at his side, her hand in his, bound
for the kindergarten. He carried her little lunch basket and whistled
merrily when not engaged in telling her about Santa Claus. She
startled him one day by asking:--

"Are you going to be Santy this year, daddy, or is mamma?"

He looked down at the rich little fur coat and muff Nellie had
outfitted her with, at the expensive hat and the silk muffler, and
sighed.

"If you ask questions, Santy won't come at all," he said, darkly.
"He's a mighty cranky old chap, Santy is."

He did not take up physical culture with Professor Flaherty, partly on
account of the expense, partly because he found that belabouring
cannel coal and shaking down the furnace was more developing than he
had expected. Raking the autumn leaves out of the front yard also was
harder than he had any idea it would be. He was rather glad it was not
the season for the lawn mower.

Down in his heart he hoped that Nellie would come out for Christmas,
but he knew there was no chance of it. She would have two per