e (she really said its
Latin name), whose waxy-white blossom is no bigger than the head of a
pin, and whose fragrance is as that of a whole basketful of hot-house
peaches.

Had I really and truly liked the teagown she wore the other night?
Would I cross my heart to that effect? Well, then, she had made it all
herself in a day. If the worse came to the worst, if cartridges fell
upon still more evil days, she would turn dressmaker, and become rich
and famous. Wasn't it a pity that John had to work so hard, and miss
so many lovely days?

"I think he'd be quite rich," she said, "if it wasn't for me. I was
brought up to spend all the money I wanted to, and I don't seem able to
stop. I know it isn't fair to John, and John says it isn't fair to the
babies, and I make beautiful resolutions and forget all about them."

"But now that your husband has had to cut his salary in half, you'll
simply have to be good, won't you?"

She admitted that now she would simply have to be good. And a moment
later she was making plans for the dance that she was going to give at
Wilcox's.

"Why wouldn't it be a fine beginning of economy to cut that dance out?"
I asked. "Why not let me give it? I'm quite flush just now. It
wouldn't hurt me a bit."

"I thrashed it all out with John," she said, "that same night after
you'd gone. He told me to go ahead, and not disappoint myself. I
didn't see why you shouldn't give a dance for me if you wanted to, and
I wanted you to. But John wouldn't listen to that for a minute. I
must say I couldn't see why, and I don't yet. It isn't like paying my
dressmaker's bill, or giving me a pearl necklace. I said that. And he
said no, it wasn't like that, but that it was a second cousin twice
removed."

"I think he'd be mightily pleased if he came back and found that the
price of this dance was still to his credit in that firm and excellent
institution, the Bank of Western Carolina."

"If we are really hard up," she said, "what does a few hundred dollars
matter one way or the other?"

It seemed to me that I had done all that I could to save Fulton's money
for him. I had the feeling that if I continued to preach economy I
might get myself disliked, for already Lucy seemed to have lost
something of her light-heartedness and vivacity.

"When do you give it?" I said. "Please ask me."

"I shall give it day after tomorrow night," she said; "and I shall ask
everybody in Aiken."

I said that she i