"It's very kind of Aunt Jane," complained 'Phemie. "But it's just like opening the door of Heaven to a person who has no wings! We can't even reach Hillcrest."

"You and I could," said her sister, vigorously.

"How, please?"

"We could walk."

"Why, Lyd! It's fifty miles if it's a step!"

"It's nearer seventy. Takes two hours on the train to the nearest station; and then you ride up the mountain a long, long way. But we could walk it."

"And be tramps--regular tramps," cried 'Phemie.

"Well, I'd rather be a tramp than a pauper," declared the older sister, vigorously.

"But poor father!"

"That's just it," agreed Lydia. "Of course, we can do nothing of the kind. We cannot leave him while he is sick, nor can we take him out there to Hillcrest if he gets on his feet again."

"Oh, Lyddy! don't talk that way. He _is_ going to be all right after a few days' rest."

"I do not think he will ever be well if he goes back to work in that hat factory. If we could only get him to Hillcrest."

"And there we'd all starve to death in a hurry," grumbled 'Phemie, punching the hard, little boarding-house pillow. "Oh, dear! what's the use of talking? There is no way out!""There's always a way out--if we think hard enough," returned her sister. "Wish you'd promulgate one," sniffed 'Phemie. "I am going to think--and you do the same." "I'm going to----" "Snore!" finished 'Phemie. That ended the discussion for the time being. But Lydia lay awake and racked her tired brain for hours. The pale light of the raw March morning streaked the window-pane when Lydia was awakened by her sister hurrying into her clothes for the day's work at the millinery store. There would be but two days more for her there. And then? It was a serious problem. Lydia had perhaps ten dollars in her reserve fund. Father might not be paid for his full week if he did not go back to the shop. His firm was not generous, despite the fact that Mr. Bray had worked so long for them. A man past forty, who is frequently sick a day or two at a time, soon wears out the patience of employers, especially when there 

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