"Excuse me; but what would you eat? I saw no sign of scrimping and pinching that day I first came here—to stay."
"Oh, then Cleena was determined you should say no blame of her housekeeping. She gave you all in one meal. We've often laughed over it since."
"Humph! But this two and a half per week, what would it buy?"
"Meal and milk. Sometimes oat meal, sometimes corn. Once and again an egg or something for father. Oh, we'd manage."
"Hmm, hmm; you'd rather live on that than run in debt? You younger Kayes, who are all I seem to take account of now—Salome is gone."
"We will run in no debt we cannot pay, unless we are ill and it is impossible to help. Hal and I settled that long ago. So far we have managed, and now he is working too, I feel as rich as—rich."
"Exactly. Amy, if this old house were yours, what would you do with it?"
The answer was prompt and decided.
"Make it into a Home for Mill Girls."
"Whew! What in the world! Fairacres? The proudest old mansion in the country, or in this part of it! Are you beside yourself?"