Timothy," said Mrs. Crump,
cheerfully.

"Yes; and it's the last quarter I shall pay to Mr. Colman, if I can help
it."

"Why, where are you going?" inquired Jack.

"To the corner house belonging to Mr. Harrison, that is, if it is not
already engaged. I think I will go and see about it at once. If Mr.
Colman should come in while I am gone, tell him I will be back directly;
I don't wish you to tell him of the change in our circumstances."

The cooper found Mr. Harrison at home.

"I called to inquire," commenced the cooper, "whether you had let that
house of yours on the corner of the street."

"Not as yet," was the reply.

"What rent do you ask?"

"Twenty dollars a quarter," said Mr. Harrison; "that I consider
reasonable."

"It is satisfactory to me," was the cooper's reply, "and, if you have no
objections to me as a tenant, I will engage it at once."

"Far from having any objections, Mr. Crump," was the courteous reply, "I
shall be glad to secure so good a tenant. Will you go over and look at
the house?"

"Not now, sir; I am somewhat in haste. When can we move in?"

"To-day, if you like."

His errand satisfactorily accomplished, the cooper returned home.
Meanwhile the landlord had called.

He was a little surprised to find that Mrs. Crump, instead of looking
depressed, looked cheerful, rather than otherwise.

"I was not aware you had a child so young," he remarked, looking at the
baby.

"It isn't mine," said Mrs. Crump, briefly.

"The child of a neighbor, I suppose," thought Colman.

Meanwhile he scrutinized closely, without appearing to do so, the
furniture in the room.

At this point Mr. Crump opened the outer door.

"Good-morning," said Colman, affably. "A fine morning."

"Quite so," answered his tenant, shortly.

"I have called, Mr. Crump, to know if you are ready with your quarter's
rent."

"I think I told you, last night, how I was situated. Of course I am
sorry----"

"So am I," said the landlord, "for I may be obliged to have recourse to
unpleasant measures."

"You mean that we must leave the house!"

"Of course, you cannot expect to remain in it if you are unable to pay
the rent. Of course," added Colman, making an inventory with his
eyes, of the furniture, "you will leave behind a sufficient amount of
furniture to cover your bill----"

"Surely, you would not deprive us of our furniture!"

"Is there any hardship in requiring payment of honest debts?"

"There are cases of th