Spencer caught the tantalizing undertone in his father's voice. "Listen!" he cried, "of course, listen!" "Careful, Spencer." Catherine's eyes steadied him; poor kid! She knew that irritating helplessness. "I'm sure it is interesting." Mrs. O'Lay heaved herself around the table. "That roast ain't so good as it might be," she observed confidentially to Catherine. "Butchers is snides, that's all." "It was all right." Catherine ignored Charles's lifted eyebrows. The salad did look a little messy. "Do you think, Mother, that perhaps----" "Can't you talk about something else for a while, Spencer?" Charles spoke up curtly. Catherine's fingers gripped her serving fork. "I'll see, Spencer," she said, clearly. "Later we'll talk about it." "If he has it, I want it," Marian insisted. "Will you change the subject?" Charles's outbreak wrapped a heavy silence about the children. Catherine's spoon clicked in the bowl of salad dressing. How ghastly, she thought. It's our dissension, using them. Spencer had ducked his head; his nostrils dilated, his eyes moved unhappily from her face to his father's. "Let's see, school opens on Wednesday, doesn't it?" She sought for safe words with which to rescue them. "You have to-morrow. Miss Kelly is going shopping for you. A coat for Marian----" "Is she going to select clothes for them?" asked Charles, accusingly. "Oh, she can do that. I've given her a price limit. The only difficult thing is shopping within that limit." "I never had a bought coat, did I, Muvver?" Marian broke in. "Only coats you sewed for me." "You're getting to be such a big girl." What possessed the children, anyway! Catherine heard Charles grunt faintly as if some huge dissatisfaction was confirmed. "And now----" "You have more important things to do than mere sewing for the children." "Yes." Catherine was flint, sending off sparks. "And I have money to bridge the difference in price."