es."

"Oh, Alice!"

"Well, what else is there to be done?" asked the younger girl,
fiercely. "We've got to live. We've got to have a place to stay, and
we've got to pay the bills that are piling up. Can you think of
anything else to do?"

"No, but something may--turn up."

"I'm not going to wait for it. I'm not like Mr. Micawber. I'm going
out and turn up something for myself. There's one thing I can do, and
that's manicure. I could get a place at that, maybe," and Alice
looked at her pretty and well-kept nails, while Ruth glanced at her
own hands.

"Yes, dear, you do that nicely. But isn't it--er--rather common?"

"All work is 'common,' I suppose. It's also common to starve--but I'm
not going to do it if I can help it. Good-night!" and she flounced
into her own room.

"Oh, dear!" sighed Ruth. "I wish Alice were not so--so lively" and
she cried softly before she fell asleep.

Mr. DeVere was up early the next morning. He seemed more cheerful,
though his voice, if anything, was hoarser and more husky than ever.

"Here's where I start out to seek my fortune!" he said raspingly,
though cheerfully, after a rather scanty breakfast. "I'll come back
with good news--never fear!"

He kissed the girls good-bye, and went off with a gay wave of his
hand.

"Brave daddy!" murmured Ruth.

"Yes, he is brave," said Alice "and we've got to be brave, too."

"Where are you going?" asked Ruth, as she saw her sister dressing for
the street.

"Out."

"Out where? I must know."

"Well, if you must, I'm going to make the rounds of the manicuring
parlors."

"Oh, Alice, I hate to have you do it. Some of those places where men
go----"

"I'm only going to apply at the ladies' parlors."

"Oh, well, I--I suppose it's the only thing to do."

"And if worse comes to worst!" cried Alice, gaily, "I'll get some
orange-sticks and we'll stew them for soup. It can't be much worse
than boot-leg consomme."

"Oh, Alice!" cried Ruth. "You are hopeless."

"Hopeless--but not--helpless! _Auf Wiedersehen!_"

But in spite of her gay laugh as she closed the hall door after her,
Alice DeVere's face wore a look of despondency. She knew how little
chance she stood in New York--in big New York.

And perhaps it was this despondent look that caused Russ Dalwood to
utter an exclamation as he met her down at the street door of the
apartment house.

"What's the matter?" Alice replied to his startled ejaculation. "Is
my hat on crooked; or did o