“You fat rascal!” said George, waving a long forefinger at his son. The fat one seized it and abruptly began to smile. Peace being thus restored, George--of an analytical mind--said: “Whatever possessed him to burst out that way?” Eleanor laughed. “I think he was jealous,” she suggested. She kissed the “fat one” tenderly. “And he had reason to be,” she added. They played on the floor with the baby and the blocks--no; they played, using the baby and the blocks as an excuse. After a while George said: “How little do you suppose we can live on?” “Oh, as little as anybody,” replied she carelessly, intent upon the house of blocks they were making. “You see, so long as we’ve got ourselves, we don’t need much else. You’re building your side too thin.” George filled out the lower walls with a second row, like the walls on her side. Said he: “Sayler offered me his job--running the two machines.” Eleanor gave a faint smile of amusement--as much attention as she could spare for an “outside” matter when she was teaching the “fat one’s” clumsy hands to lay blocks straight. “Shall I ask him to dinner when I see him this afternoon, to thank him and tell him I won’t take it?” “Yes--do ask him,” said Ellen. “He brought us together--when you were trying to get away. No, baby, not that way--the long side across.” “Your father told me he was going to cut you off--and the baby, too, unless we gave it to him to raise.” Ellen smiled--amused, a little sad. She said: “Poor papa! He ought to be ashamed of himself for trying to interfere between you and me.” A pause of several minutes, filled with building--repairing the ravages of a wild thrust of the “fat one’s” fists. Then her mind went back to what he had said. “I suppose he will cut us off,” observed she. “I knew it would come to that, when we married. I’m sorry. You might have used the money in your politics.” “No,” said George, working steadily away at the castle. “Money’s of no use in our kind of politics, Ellen. It’s been tried again and again. It always fails. You see, we’re trying to make everybody see that it’s to his interest to wake up and work. And the only money we want is what our people must learn to invest, themselves.” Eleanor was building a tower now, and delicate work it was. “Wouldn’t you have let me take it, George, if he had given it to me?” “No,” said George. “We don’t need it, and we’d not let the baby be spoiled by it.” A long and busy pause, then Eleanor: “I’ve known _some_ nice people with money. But they’d have been nicer, I guess, without it. It’s so hard to have friends or to be friends if one has money--lots of money. George Helm, do untwist your legs. You’ll get awful cramps.” “They’re used to it,” replied the governor and statesman. “Now, listen! now, fat one!”