“Harry,” she cried, “you don't know what you're doing. I tell you I can't STAND Mrs. Renwick any longer.” She calmed herself with an effort, and went on more quietly. “Really, Harry, she's awfully disagreeable. If you can't afford to keep me anywhere else—” she glanced timidly at his face and for the first time saw the strong lines about the jaw and the tiny furrows between the eyebrows. “I know you've worked hard, Harry dear,” she said with a sudden sympathy, “and that you'd give me more, if you could. But so have I worked hard. Now we ought to change this in some way. I can get a position as teacher, or some other work somewhere. Won't you let me do that?”
Thorpe was thinking that it would be easy enough to obtain Wallace Carpenter's consent to his taking a thousand dollars from the profits of the year. But he knew also that the struggle in the courts might need every cent the new company could spare. It would look much better were he to wait until after the verdict. If favorable, there would be no difficulty about sparing the money. If adverse, there would be no money to spare. The latter contingency he did not seriously anticipate, but still it had to be considered. And so, until the thing was absolutely certain, he hesitated to explain the situation to Helen for fear of disappointing her!
“I think you'd better wait, Helen,” said he. “There'll be time enough for all that later when it becomes necessary. You are very young yet, and it will not hurt you a bit to continue your education for a little while longer.”
“And in the meantime stay with Mrs. Renwick?” flashed Helen.
“Yes. I hope it will not have to be for very long.”
“How long do you think, Harry?” pleaded the girl.
“That depends on circumstances,” replied Thorpe
“Oh!” she cried indignantly.
“Harry,” she ventured after a time, “why not write to Uncle Amos?”
Thorpe stopped and looked at her searchingly.