“Look here, shall I just see if you’re going the right way about it?”
“Oh, thank you,”—Bella relinquished the slate with alacrity—“only be careful not to rub out my dragons. They keep my mind off the MacIvers.”
And that was how the friendship began.
CHAPTER IV
Nathaniel Mar made the mistake of thinking that you can put off to a given date impressing your good judgment on those who share your life.
Trenn and Harry had an affection for their father—that he without difficulty inspired—but in their heart of hearts they were a little ashamed of their love for him, as a species of weakness. They frankly despised his laissez-aller way of life, and looked upon him as a warning. Their mother had seen to that.
The Mar boys, however, had shown business capacity from their childhood, when instead of buying “peanut brittle” and going to the circus, they saved up their money to invest in hens. They made what their mother called “a pretty penny” by selling fresh eggs to the neighbors. The thriving young tradesmen made even their mother pay for whatever she required, and she “planked down the cash” without a murmur. It was a small price for the holy satisfaction of seeing that her children were early learning the value of money.