"'I am not a child any longer,' I cried. 'I am quite sixteen. I must be making money now, if ever, to help you!'
"'But what can you do?' she asked.
"When I told her my plans, she looked at me dubiously.
"'Surely Mrs. Deering would not object,' I declared.
"But she did object. To my surprise she flew into a terrible rage when I summoned courage enough to go to the morning-room the next day and asked to speak to her.
"I unfolded to the cold, proud woman my plans to make a living. She did not wait to hear me through, but flew into such a passion of rage that I drew back in terror.
"'I have different plans for you entirely, Ida May,' she said. 'Go to your mother. I told her my plans scarcely half an hour ago. She will unfold them to you. Mind, they must be carried out by you, or your mother and you will suffer. Your father owed us a sum of money before he died, and during the past years your mother has worked to pay us off. Over one-half yet remains to be paid. Your mother's name is signed to your father's notes of indebtedness, and she is responsible for them. If I pressed for payment and she could not pay, she could be thrown into a debtor's prison.'
"I sobbed aloud in my terror: 'Oh, Mrs. Deering, if this indeed be true, there is more need than ever for me to earn money to pay off my mother's debts.'
"'There is another way in which you can pay them off,' she answered.
"'Oh, how?' I cried, falling on my knees and clasping my hands.