our district is a personal friend of mine."

"You know how we are situated," continued Herbert, who thought it
best to state his case as briefly as possible. "Father was unable to
save anything, and we have no money ahead. If mother can keep the
post office, we shall get along nicely, but if she loses it, we
shall have a hard time."

"I am surprised that in your father's long tenure of office he did
not save something," said the squire, in a tone which indicated not
only surprise but reproof.

"There was not much chance to save on a salary of four hundred
dollars a year," said Herbert, soberly, "after supporting a family
of three."

"Ahem!" said the squire, sagely; "where there's a will there's a
way. Improvidence is the great fault of the lower classes."

"We don't belong to the lower classes," said Herbert, flushing with
indignation.

Squire Walmsgham was secretly ambitious of representing his district
some day in Congress, and he felt that he had made a mistake. It
won't do for an aspirant to office to speak of the lower classes,
and the squire hastened to repair his error.

"That was not the term I intended to imply," he condescended to
explain. "I meant to say that improvidence is the prevailing fault
of those whose income is small."