dollars' worth?
It's twenty!"

But Tish had had a moment to consider, and the turning-turtle business
settled it. She shook her head. "I'm not interested, Mr. Ellis," she
said coldly. "I couldn't sleep at night if I thought I'd been the cause
of anything turning turtle or dashing into the side-lines."

"Dear lady!" he said, shocked; "I had no idea of asking you to help
me out of my difficulties. Anyhow, while matters are at a standstill
probably some shrewd money-maker here will come forward before long and
make a nice profit on a small investment."

As we drove away from the fair grounds Tish was very silent; but just as
we reached the Bailey place, with Bettina and young Jasper McCutcheon
batting a ball about on the tennis court, Tish turned to me.

"You needn't look like that, Lizzie," she said. "I'm not even thinking
of backing an automobile race--although I don't see why I shouldn't, so
far as that goes. But it's curious, isn't it, that I've got twenty-five
hundred dollars from Cousin Angeline's estate not even earning four per
cent?"

I got out grimly and jerked at my bonnet-strings.

"You put it in a mortgage, Tish," I advised her with severity in every
tone. "It may not be so fast as an automobile race or so likely to turn
turtle or break its steering-knuckle, but it's safe."

"Huh!" said Tish, reaching for the gear lever. "And about as exciting as
a cold pork chop."

"And furthermore," I interjected, "if you go into this thing now that
your eyes are open, I'll send for Charlie Sands!"

"You and Charlie Sands," said Tish viciously, jamming at her gears,
"ought to go and live in an old ladies' home away from this cruel
world."

Aggie was sitting under a sunshade in the broiling sun at the tennis
court. She said she had not left Bettina and Jasper for a moment, and
that they had evidently quarreled, although she did not know when,
having listened to every word they said. For the last half-hour, she
said, they had not spoken at all.

"Young people in love are very foolish," she said, rising stiffly. "They
should be happy in the present. Who knows what the future may hold?"

I knew she was thinking of Mr. Wiggins and the icy roof, so I patted her
shoulder and sent her up to put cold cloths on her head for fear of
sunstroke. Then I sat down in the broiling sun and chaperoned Bettina
until luncheon.

III

Jasper took dinner with us that night. He came across the lawn, freshly
shaved and in c