It was Aunt Frances' crisp voice which brought her back to calmness.
"But, my dear, you can't afford to keep it open. Your income with what
Barry earns isn't any more than enough to pay your running expenses;
there's nothing left for taxes or improvements. I'm perfectly willing to
finance you to the best of my ability, but I think it very foolish to
sink any more money--here----"
"I don't want you to sink it, Aunt Frances. Constance begged me to use
her little part of our income, but I wouldn't. We sha'n't need it. I've
fixed things so that we shall have money for the taxes. I--I have rented
the Tower Rooms, Aunt Frances!"
They stared at her stunned. Even Leila tore her adoring eyes from
Barry's face, and fixed them on the girl who made this astounding
statement.
"Mary," Aunt Frances gasped, "do you meant that you are going to
take--lodgers----?"
"Only one, Aunt Frances. And he's perfectly respectable. I advertised
and he answered, and he gave me a bank reference."
"He. Mary, is it a man?"
Mary nodded. "Of course. I should hate to have a woman fussing around.
And I set the rent for the suite at exactly the amount I shall need to
take me through this year, and he was satisfied."
She turned and picked up a printed slip from the table.
"This is the way I wrote my ad," she said, "and I had twenty-seven
answers. And this seemed the best----"
"Twenty-seven!" Aunt Frances held out her hand. "Will you let me see
what you wrote to get such remarkable results?"
Mary handed it to her, and through the diamond-studded lorgnette Aunt
Frances read: "To let: Suite of two rooms and bath; with Gentleman's Library. House on
top of a high hill which overlooks the city. Exceptional advantages for
a student or scholar."
"I consider," said Mary, as Aunt Frances paused, "that the Gentleman's
Library part was an inspiration. It was the bait at which they all
nibbled."
The General chuckled, "She'll do. Let her have her own way, Frances.
She's got a head on her like a man's."
Aunt Frances turned on him. "Mary speaks what is to me a rather new
language of independence. And she can't stay here alone. She can't.
It isn't proper--without an older woman in the house."
"But I want an older woman. Oh, Aunt Frances, please, may I have Aunt
Isabelle?"