“Financial? as I used it then, it means the amount of money you children may have at your disposal at the time of making your purchases.”
“Oh, I’m glad I have some money saved up!” she remarked with satisfaction.
“How much?” he asked.
“A good deal, papa; about five dollars, I think.”
“Ah, so much as that? quite a fortune,” he said, with a look of amusement.
“I suppose, wife, your mother is to be consulted in regard to the manner of the proposed celebration? about the party, the guests to be invited, and so forth?”
“Oh, yes, sir; about everything but the gifts she is to receive.”
The babies had had their evening romp with papa and been carried off to the nursery, Gracie going along at Elsie’s urgent request, and all the more willingly because she had heard her father say he must write a letter immediately, that it might be in time to go by the next mail, so she knew that for the present she and Max and Lulu must do without their usual bit of chat with him.
Lulu was particularly desirous for an opportunity for a talk with him, for she had a scheme in her head about which she wished to ask his advice and permission. She would not have minded broaching the subject before Max and Gracie, but thought it would be still more enjoyable to talk it over with papa alone.
“I’ll not go far away,” she said to herself, “and when papa has finished his writing maybe I’ll get a chance to talk a little with him before anybody else comes.”