"I've been working overtime nights at Pearson's furniture store. The old man's sick and his son had to stay home evenings. I bargained to stay in his place and take it out this way! I kind of thought you'd like it," Hugh explained breathlessly, glancing from his auditors to the desk.

"Oh, Hugh!" cried Ivy deprecatingly.

"It was dead easy! Hardest part was to keep it quiet so to surprise you. It wouldn't do to get too friendly or I'd a blurted it out!"

Hugh's head was bending over the desk, dangerously close to Ivy as it proved, for she gave his hair a sudden pull.

"Oh, Hugh, you good-for-nothing!" she cried.

CHAPTER XIII

THE CRIMSON BAG

"Uncle Fred, I'm going to play being poor for a whole week," said Alene, meeting Mr. Dawson at the gate one evening.

"What put that idea into your head, child?"

"You see it's so much more exciting to do things when you haven't money! We felt quite hilarious this afternoon when Nettie discovered that one could get a great big sugar cake for a cent at the new bakery.

It was Ivy's treat and we all went in a crowd and bought half a dozen for five cents! We really don't see how they can afford to give such big ones!"

"They depend on large sales and small profits, no doubt; besides it will attract other customers. A good advertis.e.m.e.nt too, for here am I, for one, who would have gone past the new bakery a hundred times, never once glancing that way, never dreaming of those elephantine sugar cakes, were it not for you! Are you sure the bakery didn't bribe you girls to sound their praises?"

"The idea!"

"It's not so foolish after all; I'm almost famished for one of those sugar cakes. Greedy Alene, to devour them every one!"

"No, I did not! There was Laura and Ivy, and Nettie and Claude, and Lois and little Elmer, besides myself, to divide among!"

"Which suggests my school days and problems in arithmetic! I think this would be a question in short division or would it be short cake?"

"No, indeed! We all had almost enough! But, Uncle, do behave! Here's my purse; I want you to keep it."

"'With all my lordly goods I thee endow!' Why, thank you, Miss Dawson!

I hear the gold pieces clinking! But I don't know if my mamma will allow me to accept such valuable presents!"

There was a little gurgling laugh from Alene.

"Do let me finish! I only want you to keep it for me until the end of the week!"

"Indian giver! Indian giver! Take your old purse! I guess it was only the clink of pennies I heard, anyway!"

Alene clasped her hands behind her back.

"You must keep it or I can't play being poor! Now Uncle, won't you be good! I feel so ashamed to have so much when the other girls have so little, and I want to try it for just one little week; besides, it will be fun!"

"Fun for you, but what a temptation to put in your own Uncle's way!

However I don't want to be too selfish. I'll keep the purse."

"For a week. Thank you, Uncle!"

"Have you any more stray pennies to put in my charge?"

"I have exactly six cents left and I must get along on that."

"Won't you allow me to contribute an occasional quarter?"

"Well, not more than a nickel at a time. Just pretend I'm a poor little girl who is hired to run errands at the Towers!"

"And if you demand part of the content of the purse?"

"Don't give it to me! But I shan't!"

Alene held her week's allowance in her hand until they entered the house; then she placed it beside her plate at dinner. She found it troublesome keeping track of it.

"I need a small purse to put it in. There's a pretty one for a quarter at Nixon's store--ah, I forgot already, I haven't enough money."

Uncle Fred offered her the use of a flat red-morocco pocketbook, but Alene said it was not convenient to carry, and besides, people would expect so much from its size! She at last decided to use a small knit bag of crimson silk with silver rings, which she kept in a box upstairs.

The next day she had a long letter to mail to her parents, and the girls accompanied her to the post-office.

On the way back they heard music.

They soon came to where the players stood, a crippled Italian and a little, dark-skinned boy, with a harp and violin.

At the conclusion of several numbers the boy went through the crowd, holding out his battered cap.

Laura put in all she had, a bright new cent.

"I haven't a penny," lamented Ivy.

"I have just one solitary, shamed little fellow, done up in crimson satin and silver buckles," announced Alene, taking the pretty bag from her wrist.

Ivy giggled.

"Everybody is looking, Alene! They expect a piece of silver, at least, from that gorgeous purse!"

"Well, I can't help it! I paid a nickle postage on my letter, you know!"

"Yes, I know, but the rest of the town is in ignorance of that great expenditure."

"You needn't laugh, Miss Bonner. Considering the amount of my capital, it was a big payment to meet!"

"And so early, too, in your poverty-stricken career, I can sympathize with you," said Laura.

The bright bag with its shining rings, over which the heads of the three girls were bent, seemed to have attracted the attention of the crowd as Ivy had said, and the penny, hidden away in its crimson corner, while Alene fumbled in vain for it, held them longer in the public gaze.