lly. "Are you going down-town?" she
inquired.

"Yes."

"What for?"

"Just something I want to see about. I'll tell you when I come back.
Anything you want me to do?"

"No; I guess not to-day. I thought you might look for a rug, but I'd
rather go with you to select it. We'll have to get a new rug for your
father's room, I expect."

"I'm glad you think so, mama. I don't suppose he's ever even noticed it,
but that old rug of his--well, really!"

"I didn't mean for him," her mother explained, thoughtfully. "No; he
don't mind it, and he'd likely make a fuss if we changed it on his
account. No; what I meant--we'll have to put your father in Walter's
room. He won't mind, I don't expect--not much."

"No, I suppose not," Alice agreed, rather sadly. "I heard the bell
awhile ago. Was it somebody about that?"

"Yes; just before I came upstairs. Mrs. Lohr gave him a note to me, and
he was really a very pleasant-looking young man. A VERY pleasant-looking
young man," Mrs. Adams repeated with increased animation and a
thoughtful glance at her daughter. "He's a Mr. Will Dickson; he has a
first-rate position with the gas works, Mrs. Lohr says, and he's fully
able to afford a nice room. So if you and I double up in here, then
with that young married couple in my room, and this Mr. Dickson in your
father's, we'll just about have things settled. I thought maybe I could
make one more place at table, too, so that with the other people from
outside we'd be serving eleven altogether. You see if I have to pay this
cook twelve dollars a week--it can't be helped, I guess--well, one more
would certainly help toward a profit. Of course it's a terribly worrying
thing to see how we WILL come out. Don't you suppose we could squeeze in
one more?"

"I suppose it COULD be managed; yes."

Mrs. Adams brightened. "I'm sure it'll be pleasant having that young
married couple in the house and especially this Mr. Will Dickson. He
seemed very much of a gentleman, and anxious to get settled in good
surroundings. I was very favourably impressed with him in every way; and
he explained to me about his name; it seems it isn't William, it's just
'Will'; his parents had him christened that way. It's curious." She
paused, and then, with an effort to seem casual, which veiled nothing
from her daughter: "It's QUITE curious," she said again. "But it's
rather attractive and different, don't you think?"

"Poor mama!" Alice laughed compassionately. "Poor mama!"