u
think? Mamma wants me--wants us to send her fifty dollars. She says
they're hard up."

"Well," said the dentist, after a moment, "well, I guess we can send it,
can't we?"

"Oh, that's easy to say," complained Trina, her little chin in the
air, her small pale lips pursed. "I wonder if mamma thinks we're
millionaires?"

"Trina, you're getting to be regular stingy," muttered McTeague. "You're
getting worse and worse every day."

"But fifty dollars is fifty dollars, Mac. Just think how long it takes
you to earn fifty dollars. Fifty dollars! That's two months of our
interest."

"Well," said McTeague, easily, his mouth full of mashed potato, "you got
a lot saved up."

Upon every reference to that little hoard in the brass match-safe
and chamois-skin bag at the bottom of her trunk, Trina bridled on the
instant.

"Don't TALK that way, Mac. 'A lot of money.' What do you call a lot of
money? I don't believe I've got fifty dollars saved."

"Hoh!" exclaimed McTeague. "Hoh! I guess you got nearer a hundred AN'
fifty. That's what I guess YOU got."

"I've NOT, I've NOT," declared Trina, "and you know I've not. I wish
mamma hadn't asked me for any money. Why can't she be a little more
economical? I manage all right. No, no, I can't possibly afford to send
her fifty."

"Oh, pshaw! What WILL you do, then?" grumbled her husband.

"I'll send her twenty-five this month, and tell her I'll send the rest
as soon as I can afford it."

"Trina, you're a regular little miser," said McTeague.

"I don't care," answered Trina, beginning to laugh. "I guess I am, but I
can't help it, and it's a good fault."

Trina put off sending this money for a couple of weeks, and her mother
made no mention of it in her next letter. "Oh, I guess if she wants
it so bad," said Trina, "she'll speak about it again." So she again
postponed the sending of it. Day by day she put it off. When her mother
asked her for it a second time, it seemed harder than ever for Trina to
part with even half the sum requested. She answered her mother, telling
her that they were very hard up themselves for that month, but that she
would send down the amount in a few weeks.

"I'll tell you what we'll do, Mac," she said to her husband, "you send
half and I'll send half; we'll send twenty-five dollars altogether.
Twelve and a half apiece. That's an idea. How will that do?"

"Sure, sure," McTeague had answered, giving her the money. Trina sent
McTeague's twelve dollars