aming of that picture Mr.
Rollins gave me. Don't you think you can get it for me? Jemmy Hills
sent me word to-day that the picture was all framed and ready."

Peter all at once looked sick. He knew how his mother had been saving
to buy a pretty frame for the lovely water color Bernard Rollins had
given her. She had even given up the idea of a new knot of flowers for
her hat. And now she had dropped the precious coins down the hungry
mouth of a slot machine. And the worst of it was she didn't seem to
know what she had done.

"Mother," Peter began miserably, "you've lost the money and I don't see
how you can ask--"

"Oh, well, Peter Boy,--never mind. I expect it's some new game and I
didn't play it right. I'm sorry I was stupid. Let's see what else we
can do. I wanted to treat you children to soda but maybe Joe has some
money. Joe," she called merrily to the shoemaker, "won't you treat?"

Joe caught the odd little note in her voice. His hand rattled the
loose change in his pocket and he smiled a spontaneous smile that had
however more than a bit of malice in it.

"Sure, I'll treat," and he turned to the proprietor who still looked as
though he was seeing things but came to life when Joe stepped up to the
counter.

"What'll you have?"

"Oh," said Joe carelessly, "give me what you give the rest of the
boys," and here Joe winked at the proprietor.

"And I'll have the same," laughed Mrs. Dustin, and again Joe winked at
the proprietor.

But the children had grown strangely quiet, especially the boys. And
slim Mollie once more grew frightened as she watched the proprietor
setting out glass after glass of foaming beer.

Mrs. Dustin was busy talking to the children and didn't seem to see the
foaming glasses until Joe called,

"Come on, everybody--line up."

Then the lovely mother face was raised and at the look that came into
the blue eyes every child there grew sick and miserable.

"Ah, gee--whad he give her that for?" muttered Sammy Berwick.

But Mrs. Dustin, after looking once into Peter's tortured eyes, stood
up and laughed.

"Well, children," she confessed, "I've never tasted beer in my life,
but it's your party and I invited myself so it would be rude to refuse."

And with that she picked up her glass.

"Well," laughed Joe, "this is my first drink too. But I'm not going to
be an old fogey. What's good enough for my boys is good enough for me."

Every child there held its breath for they