fficult.
"You and father just CAN'T understand--and you won't do anything to help
me--"

"Willie, you can go to the party," she said, gently. "You didn't need
those frightful clothes at all."

"I do!" he cried. "I GOT to have 'em! I CAN'T go in my day clo'es!
There's a reason you wouldn't understand why I can't. I just CAN'T!"

"Yes," she said, "you can go to the party."

"I can't, either! Not unless you give me three dollars and twenty-four
cents, or unless I can get back to the lumber-yard and earn the rest
before--"

"No!" And the warm color that had rushed over Mrs. Baxter during Jane's
sensational recital returned with a vengeance. Her eyes flashed. "If
you'd rather I sent a policeman for those baskets, I'll send one. I
should prefer to do it--much! And to have that rascal arrested. If you
don't want me to send a policeman you can go for them yourself, but
you must start within ten minutes, because if you don't I'll telephone
headquarters. Ten minutes, Willie, and I mean it!"

He cried out, protesting. She would make him a thing of scorn forever
and soil his honor, if she sent a policeman. Mr. Beljus was a fair
and honest tradesman, he explained, passionately, and had not made the
approaches in this matter. Also, the garments in question, though not
entirely new, nor of the highest mode, were of good material and in
splendid condition. Unmistakably they were evening clothes, and such a
bargain at fourteen dollars that William would guarantee to sell them
for twenty after he had worn them this one evening. Mr. Beljus himself
had said that he would not even think of letting them go at fourteen
to anybody else, and as for the two poor baskets of worn and useless
articles offered in exchange, and a bent scarfpin and a worn-out old
silver watch that had belonged to great-uncle Ben--why, the ten dollars
and forty cents allowed upon them was beyond all ordinary liberality;
it was almost charity. There was only one place in town where evening
clothes were rented, and the suspicious persons in charge had insisted
that William obtain from his father a guarantee to insure the return of
the garments in perfect condition. So that was hopeless. And wasn't it
better, also, to wear clothes which had known only one previous occupant
(as was the case with Mr. Beljus's offering) than to hire what chance
hundreds had hired? Finally, there was only one thing to be considered
and this was the fact that William HAD to have those c