Page:St. Nicholas (serial) (IA stnicholasserial321dodg).pdf/573

“You ridiculous boy!” exclaimed Beatrice, later in the day, as Tom approached her, groaning under the weight of the bicycle-cap he carried with both hands. It was nearly full of pennies, five-cent pieces, silver coins, and a few gold pieces, and Tom poured them with a great flourish and rattle inte his sister’s lap.

“I thought of the reserve fund,” he explained, “and the size of that opening in the little drum, so I brought you convenient change—don't you like it?”

“I don’t know where to keep it,” said Beatrice, wringing her hands.

“In a bag,” suggested Tom; “it ’ll vanish soon enough; those little round things are slippery.”

“Go away while I count it,” commanded Bee, running her fingers through the pile. She was feeling for a twenty-five-cent piece, which she meant to drop as a beginning into the little drum; but she did not wish her brother’s sharp eyes to find her out, so she slipped the coin in her pocket so quietly that he did not notice the movement. She poured the rest of the money into her leather housekeeping satchel, which she carried to her room; and when Tom's back was turned she ran downstairs to offer the first donation to the reserve fund. She didn’t even draw the savings-bank from its hiding-place behind the dining-room clock, but hurriedly dropped her quarter and went off to attend to some household matters. Then there was an hour’s practising to be done, for Bee was conscientious, so it was nearly time to dress for dinner before she could find a leisure moment in which to arrange her finances.

She went to work behind her closed door, for she knew her inquisitive brothers would otherwise offer suggestions; but after a half-hour’s earnest calculation she came out into the hall with trouble in her bright face, and ran against Tom, who had just flung one leg over the banister, preparatory to a rapid descent.

“Hello! What's up?” he asked, struck by her expression.

“Hush!" whispered Beatrice, cautiously; “come into my room and I ‘ll tell you; I don’t want Willie to hear, he’s such a chatterbox.”

Tom swung his leg back again, and followed his sister. “Well—what’s the trouble?” he said.

“Tom, I ’ve gone over the money carefully, and there are ten dollars missing.”

“What!”

Beatrice nodded, “Yes, counting the quarter I slipped out for the reserve fund. I would n't have told you but for this; so we are really nine dollars and three quarters short.”

“I don’t see how you make it,” cried Tom, excitedly. “Let me count; girls are no good at calculation, anyhow.”

Beatrice shrugged her shoulders as Tom went to work, but the result was the same. Tom’s face was as grave as her own when he had finished.

“I wish to goodness you had n't given me the job!” he growled, rumpling his hair in his perplexity. “But I counted it before I left the bank.”

“I wish I had n’t!” echoed Beatrice, dismally.

“Humph! I dare say you would n't have done it as well.”

“Maybe not,” said Bee, meekly, showing her crushed spirit.

Beatrice thought for a few moments; then she looked up with a brighter face.

“I could manage to make it even,” she said, “by cutting down the expenses two dollars and a half a week. Four weeks would set us straight.”

“But that ’s a long, penurious road to travel,” objected Tom. “I say, Bee; let us live in plenty for three weeks, and skimp us all you want during the fourth—I’d rather have it in a lump. Then there’s mother’s coming home to look forward to; and, in the meantime, the reserve fund must be handsomely fed.”

“Well, I won’t worry for three weeks,” Beatrice promised. And she kept her word, proving herself a most efficient housekeeper, and adding so often to the reserve fund from surplus stock that the little drum rattled louder and louder each day it was shaken.

It was wonderful what a center of interest that little drum became, and how many pennies found their way there—the result of sacrifices on the part of the boys. Willie reduced his daily supply of chocolate to semi-weekly purchases, and Tom denied himself many things dear to his heart, that his somewhat limited allowance might go to swell the fund; be-