ou couldn't have suited me any better," acknowledged Betty, giving the
chair that held her treasure an admiring glance. "I shall have to study
all the afternoon to know what to say to Uncle Win. As for Doris----"

Doris was smiling now. If they were all pleased, that was enough.

"I hope Uncle Win won't let you spend your money this way very often,"
said Uncle Leverett, "or you will have nothing left to buy silk gowns
for yourself when you are a young woman."

"Maybe no one will ever ask me to a party," said Doris simply.

"I will give one in your honor," declared Warren. "Let me see--in seven
years you will be sixteen. I will save up a little money every year
after I get my freedom suit."

"Your freedom suit?" in a perplexed manner.

"Yes--when I am twenty-one. That will be next July."

"You will have to buy her a silk gown as well," said his father with a
twinkle of humor in his eye.

"Then I shall strike for higher wages."

"We shall have a new President and we will see what that brings about.
The present method is simply ruinous."

The dinner was uncommonly good, if it had been made of cooked-over meat.
And the pie was delicious. Any woman who could make a pie like that, and
have the custard a perfect cream, ought to be the happiest woman alive.

Mr. Leverett followed his wife out in the kitchen, and gave the door a
push with his foot. But the three young people were so enthusiastic
about the new gown, now that the restraint was removed, that they could
not have listened.

"Mother," he began, "don't spoil the little girl's good time and her
pleasure in the gift."

"Betty did not need a silk gown. The other girls didn't have one until
they were married. If I had considered it proper, I should have bought
it myself."

"But Winthrop hadn't the heart to refuse Doris."

"If he means to indulge every whim and fancy she'll spend everything she
has before she is fairly grown. She's too young to understand and she
has been brought up so far in an irresponsible fashion. Generosity is
sometimes foolishness."

"You wouldn't catch Hollis' little boy spending his money on anyone,"
and Sam's grandfather laughed. Sam was bright and shrewd, smart at his
books and good at a barter. He had a little money out at interest
already. Mr. Leverett had put it in the business, and every six months
Sam collected his interest on the mark.

"Winthrop isn't as slack as you sometimes think. He could calculate
compound interest