Then he said gravely, “Probably not.” It was as if he had considered every phase of the matter before he spoke.

“There wouldn’t be any reason why you couldn’t,” said his mother quickly in her comforting voice. “You know they wouldn’t know anything about the change in our circumstances. Your father never told anybody what his banking place was. They wouldn’t have heard. And it hasn’t got out yet that we are losing our house. I don’t see why you shouldn’t go and have a pleasant good-bye, just as you would have done if all this hadn’t happened.”

“It will cost something, Mother,” he said quietly.

“No it won’t, Thurl,” said Rilla eagerly. “Betty said some of the young folk were going to ride down in a second car, and they’ll ask you, of course.”

“Perhaps.”

“And anyway, I think you should go. She won’t understand it. You’ve been one of her best friends. And anyway, we won’t actually starve any sooner on the little it would take to get you down there and buy flowers and candy or anything you want go give her. I think you ought to go! We’ve got to be good sports and smile.”

“I’ll see,” said Thurlow, considering his sister’s suggestion with a kindling gleam of appreciation in his eyes.

But the young man drew a long, deep breath not wholly of relief as he said it. The heavy burden was not lifted just because his family had been good sports, though he greatly appreciated their attitude. And perhaps they were right. Perhaps he ought to go just as he had planned. But it would not be the lighthearted, happy affair he had expected. His own attitude toward the girl he had been secretly calling his would have to be different. He was a penniless youth now, with a family to support and heavy responsibilities. Life had changed its whole plan for him, and he must look facts in the face.

The next few days were very trying ones for Thurlow.

He went to New York to see Barbara Sherwood off, just as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Although that very morning had come the ultimatum giving ten days of grace before the demand must be paid in its entirety, or the building association, through its representative, would file a claim for the full amount demanded in the bond.

“He might as well have demanded it today!” said the sorrowful mother despairingly. “We can’t pay it any better in ten days than we can now.” She wiped away the slow tears that coursed down her face.

“No, Mother,” said the son who suddenly seemed to have grown old and serious, “ten days is ten days. You can’t tell what might happen in ten days. You know I ought not really to be wasting this one day to go to New York. But I mean to make every hour of the other nine days count for something. I don’t mean to let that dirty thief get away with stealing if I can help it. For that’s what it is. It’s nothing short of robbery. He knows we’re in a hole because the bank is closed, and he’s taking advantage of it. I mean to leave no stone unturned. This having an injunction looming on the horizon every time we want to own a thing, even a little old second-hand flivver, is more than I want hung around my neck the rest of my life. Believe me, I mean to give the old geezer a run for his money, anyway.”

“I don’t see what you can do!” said the mother hopelessly.

“I’ll do plenty!” said the son briskly, although he hadn’t an idea in his head of anything that he could do.