He smiled a little sadly. “My small investments are paying me nothing, and your grandmother, who expected to share the expense of your college course, is suffering from the same condition of affairs. Certain railroad stocks on which we both have heretofore depended are paying no dividends, and then there are other stocks which bring us nothing.”
Persis’s lips quivered, but she said, bravely, although with swimming eyes, “I’ll try to bear it, papa, but I am so disappointed. I worked so hard all summer with my Latin so as to get through a year sooner.”
“I know you did, daughter. Don’t think it is no disappointment to me too.” And he laid his hand gently on the girl’s shoulder.
Persis rested her cheek against it, saying, contritely, “I’ll not be so selfish, papa; but I feel as if all my ground were slipping from under me. I had planned it all out so many times, and I don’t know how to build any new castles.”
“Perhaps time will develop some new interests for you,” her father suggested, consolingly. And Persis left him with a very downcast countenance. She could not bear to face her grandmother with the tears rolling down her cheeks, and so a good cry in her snuggery was denied her, for this was a question in which grandma was too closely involved. Persis therefore escaped to the room she still shared with Lisa, and a half-hour later the latter found her there with a very shiny red nose and traces of tears still upon her long black lashes.
“Why, Tommy, what in the world is the matter? You look as if you had lost your last friend.”
“I feel as if I had,” responded Persis, dejectedly. “Papa says I can’t go to college next year.” And the tears began to flow afresh.
Lisa put down her books upon the table. “I am awfully sorry,” she replied, with real sympathy. “I knew the investments were paying poorly this year, but I didn’t know it was so bad as that. Hard times, you know. Never mind, Perse, maybe you can go next year after all. I’ll tell you what: I’ll try to get a position to teach in a kindergarten and keep up my study at the same time; then I could help out.”
“You’re awfully good,” sobbed Persis, quite overcome by this mark of affection in her sister, “but I couldn’t stand having you work for me. I’ll try to get something to do myself—I don’t care what. I shall be wild if I can’t do something.”
“You could study a lot at home,” suggested Lisa, cheerfully, “and maybe you could gain almost as much that way.”