ger because she did not know exactly what it was--or
what it meant. Yet even now Ruth felt that she must play the part of
mother to her younger sister.

"Are you sure that door is locked?" she asked again.

"Positive! See, I'll slip on the chain, and then it would tax even a
policeman to get in. But, really, Ruth, I wouldn't go to Mrs.
Reilley's if I were you. She'll tell everyone, and there doesn't seem
to be any need. It's all over, and those below, or above us, seem to
have heard nothing of it."

"Oh, I wish daddy would come home!"

"So do I, for that matter. That's sensible. What did he say," asked
Alice, "when you went down to Mrs. Reilley's telephone to talk to
him?" For that neighbor had summoned one of the girls when she
learned, over the wire, that Mr. DeVere wished to speak with his
daughters about his good fortune.

"He didn't have time to say much," replied Ruth. "He just stole a
minute or two away from the conference to say that he had an
engagement that was very promising."

"And didn't he say when he'd be home?"

"No, only that it would be as soon as possible."

"Well, I suppose he'll come as quickly as he can. Let's see what we
can get up in the way of a lunch. We may have to resort to the
delicatessen again. I do want father to have something nice when he
comes home with his good news."

"So do I," agreed Ruth. "I'm afraid our ice box doesn't contain much
in the way of refreshments for an impromptu banquet, though, and I
positively won't go out after--after what happened. At least not
right away!"

"Pooh, I'm not afraid!" laughed Alice, having recovered her spirits.
"On the ice box--charge!" she cried gaily, waltzing about.

The girls found little enough to reward them, and it came, finally,
to the necessity of making a raid on the nearest delicatessen shop if
they were to "banquet" their father.

In fact since the DeVere family had come to make their home in the
Fenmore Apartment House, on one of the West Sixtieth streets of New
York City, there had been very little in the way of food luxuries,
and not a great deal of the necessities.

Their life had held a little more of ease and comfort when they lived
in a more fashionable quarter, but with the loss of their father's
theatrical engagement, and the long period of waiting for another,
their savings had been exhausted and they had had recourse to the
pawn shop, in addition to letting as many bills as possible go unpaid
until fortune s