142 , TRUE RICHES; OR,

 

she is permitted to remain. If Jasper continues to
withhold the price of her maintenance, there will
be the more left for her when she becomes of age;
and then, if there are defects in her education, a
few years of earnest application on her part, will re-
move them. Even now, we could compel him to pay
for her a reasonable sum, but in securing this, we
would assuredly lose the child, for this man’s anger
would burn hot against us.”’

‘‘T have thought of that,” replied Edith. ‘“ No,
our only plain course, for the present, is to look away
from Jasper, and regard Fanny as one of our own
children.”

To this conclusion the mind of Claire and his wife
came firmly. Then the painful agitation they had
for some time suffered gradually subsided, and they
began earnestly to cast about for the ways and
means whereby so large an extra draft as was likely
to be made upon their slender income could be
met.

Two propositions were made by Edith: one was,
that they should make a reduction in their expenses,
by moving into a smaller house. They now paid
two hundred dollars annually for rent ; and she was
sure that, for one hundred and fifty, they might suit
themselves very well. The other proposition was,
to give two or three hours every evening, after the
children were in bed, to fine needle-work, in which
she was well skilled.

“T could easily earn two dollars a week, in this
way, was her confident remark.

Claire, who had other plans in his mind, did not
speak very encouragingly of these propositions,