Laura dried her eyes, and tried to force a smile.
"I hope so," she said. "But things are looking pretty hopeless now, aren't they?"
"Never mind," he said, as he went toward the door. "I'll go and give Mrs. F. a line o' talk and try to square you for a couple of days more, anyway. But I guess she's laying pretty close to the cushion herself, poor woman."
"Annie says a lot of people owe her."
"Well, you can't pay what you haven't got. And even if money was growing on trees, it's winter now. I'm off. Maybe to-day is lucky day. So long!"
"Good-by," smiled Laura.
"Keep your nerve," he said, as he closed the door behind him.
CHAPTER XII.
"Keep your nerve!"