"I impressed it on his son that it meant--something, to me, to
have him ask for me, if he DID come," said Bert, then.

"Bert, you'd better skip lunches, this week," Nancy suggested
thoughtfully.

"I will--that's a good idea," he said. She noticed that he was
more than usually gentle and helpful with the children, that
night. Nancy felt his strain, and her own, and went through Monday
sick with suspense.

"Nothing doing!" said Bert cheerfully, coming in on Monday
evening. Tuesday went by--Wednesday went by. On Thursday Nancy had
an especially nice dinner, because Bert's mother had come down,
for a few days' visit. The two women were good friends, and Nancy
was never so capable, brisk, and busy as when these sharp but
approving eyes were upon her.

The elder Mrs. Bradley approved of the children heartily, and
boasted about them and their clever mother when she went home.
Bert's wife was so careful as to manners, so sensible about food
and clothes, such a wonderful manager.

To-night Anne was in her grandmother's lap, commandingly directing
the reading of a fairy-story. Whenever the plot seemed thin to
Anne she threw in a casual demand for additional lions, dragons or
giants, as her fancy dictated. Mrs. Bradley giving Nancy a
tremendously amused and sympathetic smile, supplied these horrors
duly, and the boys, supposedly eating their suppers at one end of