"Have we any eggs?" she
asked, grimly.
"This--this is positively too much!" said Mr. DeVere. "I shall tell
that meat man----"
"I'm afraid he wouldn't listen to you, Daddy," interposed Ruth,
gently. "We do owe him quite a bill. I suppose we can't blame him,"
and she sighed.
"I--I'll go at once and see Mr. Cross, my former manager," exclaimed
Mr. DeVere. "He will make me a loan, I'm sure. Then I'll pay this
butcher bill, and tell the insulting fellow that we shall seek a new
tradesman."
"Then there's the rent, Daddy," said Ruth, in a low voice.
"Oh, yes--the rent. I forgot about that." The dispossess notice
rustled in his hand. "The rent--Oh, yes. That must be paid first.
I--I will have to get a larger loan. Well, get me what lunch you can,
Ruth, my dear, and I'll go out at once."
Alice did not say "movies" again, not even when the very modest and
frugal lunch was set. And it was about the "slimmest" meal, from a
housekeeper's standpoint, that had ever graced the DeVere table, used
as they had become to scanty rations of late. Mr. DeVere said little,
but he appeared to be doing considerable thinking and Alice allowed
him to do it without interruption.
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