Mrs.Jasher was always trying to make both ends meet, and had a hard struggle to keep her head above water.

Certainly, since she had inherited the money of her brother, the Pekin merchant, she need not have looked so worried.

But she did, and made no disguise of it, seeing that she was quite alone.
After a time she went to her desk and took out a bundle of bills and some other letters, also an account book and a bank book.

Over these she pored for quite an hour.

The clock struck nine before she looked up from this unpleasant task, and she found her financial position anything but satisfactory.