Part 41 (1/2)
”No, they haven't-”
”Since when?”
”Three months!”
Roger got up and walked the room. Deborah tried to speak quietly:
”I can't quite see where the money has gone.”
”Can't you? Then look at my check book.” And Edith produced it with a glare. Her sister turned over a few of the stubs.
”What's this item?”
”Where?”
”Here. A hundred and twenty-two dollars.”
”The dentist,” Edith answered. ”Not extravagant, is it--for five children?”
”I see,” said Deborah. ”And this?”
”Bedding,” was Edith's sharp response. ”A mattress and more blankets. I found there weren't half enough in the house.”
”You burned John's, didn't you?”
”Naturally!”
All at once both grew ashamed.
”Let's be sensible,” Deborah said. ”We must do something, Edith--and we can't till we're certain where we stand.”
”Very well--”
They went on more calmly and took up the items one by one. Deborah finished and was silent.
”Well, father, what's to be done?” she asked.
”I don't know,” he answered shortly.
”Somehow or other,” Deborah said, ”we've got to cut our expenses down.”
”I'm afraid that's impossible,” Edith rejoined. ”I've already cut as much as I can.”
”So did I, in my school,” said her sister. ”And when I thought I had reached the end, I called in an expert. And he showed me ways of saving I had never dreamed of.”
”What kind of expert would you advise here?” Edith's small lip curled in scorn.
”Domestic science, naturally--I have a woman who does nothing else. She shows women in their homes just how to make money count the most.”
”What women? And what homes? Tenements?”