Ruth.

"Well, what do you say, girls? Shall we accept of our neighbor's
hospitality?" asked Mr. DeVere.

"Please do!" exclaimed Alice, in a tense whisper. "You know we
haven't got a decent thing to eat in the ice box, and that
delicatessen stuff----"

"Alice!" chided Ruth.

"Well, it's the truth!" insisted the merry girl, her brown eyes
dancing with mischief. "Russ knows we aren't millionaires, and with
papa out of an engagement so long--oh, chicken! Come on. I haven't
tasted any in so long----"

"Alice--dear!" objected Ruth, sharply. "You mustn't mind her, Russ,"
she went on, rather embarrassed.

"I don't," he laughed. "But if you'll all come I'll promise you some
of the best chicken you ever tasted. And mother's hot biscuits in the
chicken gravy----"

"Don't you say another word, Russ Dalwood!" interrupted Alice. "We're
coming!"

"I--I think we will," agreed Mr. DeVere, with a laugh.

Thus was his new engagement fittingly celebrated.

The memory of that chicken dinner lingered long with the DeVere
family. For though there was daylight ahead there were dark and
dreary days to be lived through.

As usual in theatrical companies, no salaries were paid while "A
Matter of Friendship" was being rehearsed. Neither Mr. DeVere, nor
any of the company, received any money for those two weeks of hard
work. Those actors or actresses who had nothing put by lived as best
they could on the charity of others. It was indeed "a matter of
friendship" that some of them lived at all. And for a week after the
play opened they could expect nothing. Then if the play should be a
failure----

But no one liked to think of that.

The rehearsals went on, and the play was going to be a great success,
according to Mr. DeVere. But then he always said that. What actor has
not?

How he and his family lived those two weeks none but themselves knew.
They had pawned all they dared, until their flat was quite bare of
needed comforts. Tradesmen were insistent, and one man in particular
threatened to have Mr. DeVere arrested if his bill was not paid. But
it was out of the question to meet it. What little money was on hand
was needed for food, and there was little enough of that.

Mr. DeVere did negotiate some small loans, but not enough to afford
permanent relief. Perhaps motherly Mrs. Dalwood suspected, or Russ
may have hinted at their neighbors' straits, for many a nourishing
dish was sent to Ruth and Alice, on the plea that there was