"No," replied her father. "Edith said they couldn't afford it."

"Why not?"

"This time it's the dentist's bills. Young Betsy's teeth aren't
straightened yet--and as soon as she's been beautified they're going to put
the clamps on George."

"Poor Georgie," Deborah murmured. At the look of pain and disapproval on
her father's heavy face, she smiled quietly to herself. George, who was
Edith's oldest and the worry of her days, was Roger's favorite grandson.
"Has he been bringing home any more sick dogs?"

"No, this time it was a rat--a white one," Roger answered. A glint of dry
relish appeared in his eyes. "George brought it home the other night. He
had on a pair of ragged old pants."

"What on earth--"

"He had traded his own breeches for the rat," said Roger placidly.

"No! Oh, father! Really!" And she sank back laughing on the lounge.

"His school report," said Roger, "was quite as bad as ever."

"Of course it was," said Deborah. And she spoke so sharply that her father
glanced at her in surprise. She was up again on one elbow, and there was an
eager expression on her bright attractive face. "Do you know what we're
going to do some day? We're going to put the rat in the school," Deborah