Page:Girls of Central High on the Stage.djvu/58

48 "But he is going to raise our rent—three dollars more after January first."

"Oh, how mean of him!" exclaimed Mrs. Morse.

"I don't see how we are going to get it, Mother," said Jess, worriedly.

"Well, that's true. But we've got another month before we need to cross that bridge."

That was Mrs. Morse's way. Perhaps it was as well that she allowed such responsibilities to slip past her like water running off the feathers of a duck.

"And if Mr. Closewick shouldn't want to—to trust us any longer, Mother?" suggested Jess. That was as near as she could get to telling the good lady what had really happened the night before.

"Why! that would be most mortifying. He won't do it, though. But if he does, we'll immediately begin trading elsewhere. I don't really think Mr. Closewick always gives us good weight, at that!"

Jess could only sigh. It was always the way. Mrs. Morse saw things from a most surprising angle. She was just as honest—intentionally—as she could be, but the ethics of business dealing were not quite straight in her mind.

And something must be done this very day to