"Why is Beatrice like this meeting?" murmured Theodore, disentangling his legs from the afghan. "Because she has come to order. Sweet sister, in you a magnificent slave driver was ruined! Thus I fly to obey thy mandate." Miss Billy gazed at him with meaning eyebrows as he established another cozy nest with robe and pillows on the broad couch. "I do hope he won't act up," she thought anxiously, settling herself in a position of attention. "Our business is a little unpleasant this morning," began Mr. Lee with a poor little imitation of a smile that did not deceive at least one member of the party. "Mother and I had decided to keep it from you as long as possible, but later developments have made it necessary to--to----" "It is right that we should know the unpleasant things as well as the pleasant," put in Miss Billy stoutly. "We are not children. Beatrice is eighteen, and Theodore and I shall be sixteen next June." "There are disasters much worse than losing money," went on Mr. Lee. "Still I find myself perplexed and worried over financial troubles, and I feel that I need the sound judgment of every member of the family. Through the dishonesty of managing officers we have lost $15,000 which was invested in the Eastern Building and Loan Association. The loss cuts off from this source an annual income of $900, which of course we would not feel very keenly so long as my present salary continued. But yesterday I received a letter from the church trustees, worded as delicately and graciously as possible, but regretting that heavy indebtedness obliges them to reduce the pastor's salary $500 a year, for at least two years. This leaves us $1400 a year poorer than we have been before." "Let me go to work," begged Theodore. "I'd like to." "We thought of that," said Mrs. Lee with an approving glance at her son; "but it is not the most practical way when we consider the future. You must finish school first, Theodore." Beatrice had been applying her handkerchief to her eyes in a ladylike manner. "Can't you do something to those horrid men?" she inquired pathetically. "Sue them, or have them arrested, or something?" "Perhaps the law may reach them," said Mr. Lee, "but I have my doubts about the results. I fear there is little to recover. I think our wisest policy is to forget what is gone, and to conform to the situation as quickly as possible. Miss Billy, we haven't heard from you." "Hurry up, Miss Billy. You may never be _invited_ to talk again in the whole course of your existence," said her irrepressible brother. Miss Billy roused from a brown study. "We are living in a large house--sixty dollars a month," she suggested. "We couldn't live in a smaller one," put in Beatrice tearfully. "Oh, yes we could," returned Miss Billy, with a glance at Theodore. "Of course we could," echoed Theodore firmly.