it's got to go. Most likely Rogers was lyin', and there ain't any such
parties; but if there were, they couldn't have the mills from me
without the whole story. Don't you be troubled, Persis. I'm going to
pull through all right." "Oh, I ain't afraid. I don't suppose but what
there's plenty would help you, if they knew you needed it, Si."

"They would if they knew I DIDN'T need it," said Lapham sardonically.

"Did you tell Bill how you stood?"

"No, I couldn't bear to. I've been the rich one so long, that I
couldn't bring myself to own up that I was in danger."

"Yes."

"Besides, it didn't look so ugly till to-day. But I guess we shan't let
ugly looks scare us."

"No."

XXII.

THE morning postman brought Mrs. Lapham a letter from Irene, which was
chiefly significant because it made no reference whatever to the writer
or her state of mind. It gave the news of her uncle's family; it told
of their kindness to her; her cousin Will was going to take her and his
sisters ice-boating on the river, when it froze.

By the time this letter came, Lapham had gone to his business, and the
mother carried it to Penelope to talk over. "What do you make out of
it?" she asked; and without waiting to be answered she said, "I don't
know as I believe in cousins marrying, a great deal; but if Irene and
Will were to fix it up between 'em----" She looked vaguely at Penelope.

"It wouldn't make any difference as far as I was concerned," replied
the girl listlessly.

Mrs. Lapham lost her patience.

"Well, then, I'll tell you what, Penelope!" she exclaimed. "Perhaps
it'll make a difference to you if you know that your father's in REAL
trouble. He's harassed to death, and he was awake half the night,
talking about it. That abominable Rogers has got a lot of money away
from him; and he's lost by others that he's helped,"--Mrs. Lapham put
it in this way because she had no time to be explicit,--"and I want you
should come out of your room now, and try to be of some help and
comfort to him when he comes home to-night. I guess Irene wouldn't
mope round much, if she was here," she could not help adding.

The girl lifted herself on her elbow. "What's that you say about
father?" she demanded eagerly. "Is he in trouble? Is he going to lose
his money? Shall we have to stay in this house?"

"We may be very GLAD to stay in this house," said Mrs. Lapham, half
angry with herself for having given cause for the girl's conjecture