"
"But unfortunately that won't he enough."
Edith's face grew tenser:
"I'm afraid it will have to be--just now--I've had about all I can stand
for one night!"
"I'm sorry," Deborah answered. For a moment they confronted each other. And
Edith's look said to Deborah plainly, "You're spending thousands,
thousands, on those tenement children! You can get money enough for them,
but you won't raise a hand to help with mine!" And as plainly Deborah
answered, "My children are starving, shivering, freezing! What do yours
know about being poor?" Two mothers, each with a family, and each one
baffled, brought to bay. There was something so insatiable in each angry
mother's eyes.
"I think you'd better leave this to me," said Roger very huskily. And both
his daughters turned with a start, as though in their bitter absorption
they had forgotten his presence there. Both flushed, and now the glances of
all three in that room avoided each other. For they felt how sordid it had
been. Deborah turned to her sister.
"I'm sorry, Edith," she said again, and this time there were tears in her
eyes.
"So am I," said Edith unsteadily, and in a moment she left the room.
Deborah stood watching her father.
"I'm ashamed of myself," she said. "Well? Shall we talk it over?"
"No," he replied. "I can manage it somehow, Deborah, and I prefer that you
leave it to me."
Roger went into his study and sank grimly into his chair.
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