Migwan was too tired to write any more that night after the dishes were done, but she was entirely light-hearted as she wove into her bead band the symbols of that day’s achievements—­a broom and a frying pan.  She had learned something that afternoon besides how to prepare beefsteak.  She had waked up to the careless fashion in which the house was being run, and her head was full of plans for cutting down expenses.  Monday afternoon, on her way home from school, Migwan saw a farmer’s wagon standing in front of the Brewsters’ home, and Mrs. Brewster stood at the curb, buying her winter supply of potatoes.

“Have you put your potatoes in yet?” she asked as Migwan came along.

Migwan stopped.  “I don’t believe we ever bought them in large quantities,” she answered.  “How much are they a bushel?”

“Sixty-five cents,” said the farmer.  Migwan made a quick mental calculation.  At the rate they had been buying potatoes in two-quart lots they had been paying a dollar and seventy-five cents a bushel.  Migwan came to a sudden decision.

“Are they all good?” she asked Mrs. Brewster.

“They have always been in the past years,” answered Sahwah’s mother, “and I have bought my potatoes from this man for the last six winters.”

“How many would it take for a family of four?” asked Migwan.

“About five bushels,” answered Mrs. Brewster.

“All right,” said Migwan to the man; “bring five bushels over to this address.”  The potatoes were duly deposited in the Gardiner cellar, without asking the advice of Mrs. Gardiner, which was the only safe way of getting things done, for had she been consulted she would surely have wanted to wait a while, and then would have kept putting it off until it was too late.  It was the same way with flour and sugar.  Migwan found that her mother had been buying these in small quantities at an exorbitant price, and calmly took matters into her own hands, ordering a whole barrel of flour, because there was more in a barrel even than in four sacks.  A certain large store was offering a liberal discount that week on fifty pounds of sugar, and Migwan took advantage of this sale also.

Then she had a terrified counting up.  Those three items, potatoes, flour and sugar, had used up every cent of that week’s income, leaving nothing at all for running expenses.  All other supplies would have to be bought on credit.  Migwan made a careful estimate of the necessary expenses for the coming week, and pare down as she might, the sum was nearly fifteen dollars.  The loss of the rent money was making itself keenly felt.  “Mother,” she said quietly, looking up from her account book, “we can’t live on fifty-five dollars a month.  We must rent the house again immediately.”

Mrs. Gardiner made a gesture of despair.  “The sign has been up nearly a month, and if people don’t make inquiries I can’t help it.”

“Have you been in the house since the last people moved out?” asked Migwan.