ke your tea, dear, before it gets cold."

Jimmie was repulsed, but not beaten. The prize was too important to
permit of his accepting defeat so easily. Rising from his seat, he
said in a more conciliatory tone:

"I was only going to say--suppose he was to send for her--or come for
her?"

Virginia looked up with an expression of mingled surprise and alarm.
Almost anxiously she exclaimed:

"Robert--come for me! There isn't the slightest chance in the world."

The clerk grinned knowingly. With the self-important air of a man who
enjoys the confidence of others, he said significantly:

"I wouldn't be so sure if I were you."

"Why what do you know about it?" demanded Fanny in pretended surprise.

"He's crazy in love with her--that's what I know," he said.

Virginia shook her head despondently.

"Not enough to come for me," she said. "He said he would never do
it--and he never will. That's the kind of man he is."

"Per--perhaps" suggested Fanny, "just perhaps--he might."

"No," murmured Virginia, "you don't know him as well as I. Once he
makes up his mind, no one can induce him to change it."

"But if he should," persisted Jimmie craftily, taking a seat near her
and adopting a cordial, sympathetic tone.

"He won't," replied Virginia sadly. "We'll have to go along just as we
are! And we might be much worse off, don't forget that. Even as it is,
we're getting twenty dollars a week between us. I'm getting seven and
Jimmie's getting thirteen--"

"I _was_ getting thirteen," interrupted Jimmie ruefully.

Virginia looked at him.

"They've raised you?" she asked quickly.

"No. They've fired me."

"Discharged?"

"Yes."

"Do you mean to say you have lost your job?"

"Of course I have. How could you expect me to keep it? Do you think I
could work under a man getting thirty dollars a week--me, who used to
get a hundred and fifty?"

"Fired!" echoed Fanny, turning pale. "Why--what's the matter?"

Jimmie assumed an injured air. With nonchalance he explained:

"Oh, I could see that lots of things were wrong with the system. When
I went to give the manager of the department the benefit of my advice
and wide experience, instead of taking it and being thankful for it,
he fired me--fired me cold. The bonehead!"

Virginia stared at him in dismay.

"But what are we going to do now?" she cried.

Fanny had collapsed on to a chair, the picture of utter
discouragement. Weakly she repeated after her sister:

"Yes,