Maida's Little Shop

Table of

shop the next day, you would h

ge dress and a fresh white "tire"-a little girl with shining excited eyes and masses of pale-gold hair, clinging in tendri

ink anybody's going to

white apron so stiffly starched that it rattled when it touched anything-an old woman with twinkling blue eyes and hair, e

ent, my lamb, sure som

sterday, except for a big bowl

when she arranged them. She had been singing at interva

uld have thought she had turned to stone. But her eyes, glued to

A young man entered

And all the time he looked Maida straight in the eye.

ed humbly, "do you se

te her lips to keep from laughing. "Yes," she said, when she had

a penny each, m

r the pamphlet-tales that

re he could answer, she added in a condescendi

ed up." Maida saw with a mischievous delight that he

quite serious again. "My teacher sa

ack-and-the-Bean-Scalp'-no,'Stalk'; 'Jack the Joint-Cooler'-no, 'Giant-Killer'; 'Cinderella,' 'Bluebird'-no, 'Bluebeard'; 'Little Toody-

g time, he brought out some pennies, "One, two, three, fou

he shop. Maida watched him in astoni

bell tinkled a second time

leasantly, as if he had not seen her

I've just sold ten fairy books to t

ess surely is brisk. Keep that up and you can a

ok a box out from it. "Hold out you

much heavier than Maida expected. "What can be in it?" she cried excit

ennies so new that they looked like gold-pen

ey!" Maida exclaimed. "The

d," Billy co

paper on the counter. Maida handled

m," Billy

ops. Bright new dimes fell out of one,

e money drawer and filled its pockets with the shining coins. "It was very kind of you to

talk with Granny, leaving Maida alone t

throat. Her mouth felt dry on the ins

saw at once that they were twins. They had little round, chubby bodies, bulging out of red sweaters; little round, chubby faces, emerging from tall, peaky, red-worsted caps. They had

ttle girls,"

big round eyes, instead of examining the candy, kept peering up through

r a cent," one of them whisp

a cent, too," the other whispe

s in this case," Maid

to have, Dorothy?"

hey discussed everything in the one-cent case. Always they talked in whi

wo-for-a-cent?" Mabe

the candy in

they would each buy a long stick of peppermint, at another, a paper of lozenges. But they changed their minds a great many times. And in

ty pocket in the money drawer. She felt as if she wanted to keep her first earnings forever. It seemed to her that she had never seen su

low of about fourteen, she guessed, an untidy-looking boy with large, intent black eyes. A mass of black h

these words but his manner seemed to say, "And be quick about it!" He threw his

ogize. And he looked very carefully at the top Maida handed

ies of boys playing tag, leap frog and prisoners' base. The little girls, much more quiet, squatted in groups on doorsteps or walked slowly up and down, a

any help?"

yet," Maida ans

er to the school bell the long lines began to form at the big doorways, two round red spots were glowing in Maida's cheeks. She drew an involuntary sigh of relief

ny, crooning an old Irish song, busied herself upstairs in her bedroom. Maida sat back in h

f the delay. The little boy who stood on the threshold was lame. Maida would have known that he was

most as if he were old. A tired expression in his eyes showed that he did not sleep like

a tall clock. Perhaps he saw the sympathy that ran from Maida's warm heart to her pale face, for before he spoke he smiled. And when he smiled you could not po

of red tissue pape

s the first time that anybody had asked

ven't any," she

en he turned hopefully. "Mrs. Murdock always kept her

tissue paper that she had left there, not knowing what to do with them. She

rdock charge for

nt a

the old stock," she said. "You can have a

iminy crickets! That's a stro

f he wanted to thank her but did not know how to put it. Instead, he stared about the shop. "Say," he exclai

m outside-pleased Maida. It embolden

go to schoo

. It was plain to be seen, she reproached h

ove it. I s'pose it's because I can't go that I want to. But, then, I want to learn to read. A fellow can have a good time anywhere if he knows ho

s was the second thing she regretted saying. For when she came to think o

ere. My mother works out and I have to do most of the housework and take care of the baby. Pretty slow work on crutches, you kno

You see I'm pretty busy myself during the daytime-at my business." Her voi

rew soft with pity when they fell on the little

ework and take care of the baby, too, and he wants to learn to read because he thinks he won't be half so lonely with boo

uninterrupted stream. She ha

baby with her. Oh, do let me do it, Granny! I'm sure I could. And I really think you ought to. For, if you'll excuse me for saying so, Granny, I do

only in the f

e Island' and 'The Princes and the Goblins' and 'The Princess

aida: "Let her do anything that she wants to do-as long as it doesn't interfere wit

name, my la

m," the boy answe

ida. "A half an hour iv'ry avening after dinner. Sure, in a wake, 'twil

" Maida said eagerly. "You come

in, he did not seem to know what to say. "Thank you, ma'am,

me's M

a greater display of bashfulness. He sett

t to ask you some questions. Tell me the n

Clark. Say, ain't they the dead ringers for each other

twin-to have any kind of a sister or brother. Who's that b

an lick any boy of his size in the neighborhood. I bet he could lick any

"I don't like him," she

anywhere. Arthur hasn't any mother, and his father's gone all day. He takes care

rture did not ring again till

made a friend. Not a friend somebody's brought to m

, she watched them reappear from all directions and pour into it again. But between those hours she was so busy

ith an important-sounding slam. The footsteps, clattering across the room to the show case, had an important-soundi

autiful braids of glossy brown hair that came below her waist. And you would have noticed her at once

traps and bright buttons. Her pale-blue beaver hat was covered with pale-blue feathers. She wore a gold ring with a turquoise in it, a silver bracele

permitted to wear jewelry. Occasionally, Granny would let her wear one

?" the girl asked, poin

told

t you anything b

her all h

nfully. "My mother won't let me eat cheap candy. Generally, she has a box sen

to go on, she would have said: "The candy in this shop is quite good enough for any little girl. But I won't sell it to you, anyway." But, instead, she said

l looking into the show case. "I guess I'll take five cents' worth of peppe

her without speaking. The girl bustled towards

Lathrop," she sa

ai

. "Maida?-oh, yes, I know-Maida Flynn. W

ts of p

e?" Laura

ort, Pride's Crossing,

o Europe?" Laura's tone

abroad

u speak

lle, je parle F

more," Lau

s, quatre, cinq, six, sept, h

sed. "Do you speak

d German-a

was full of question. But it was evi

ith the big lawn about it. I'd like to have you come and play with me some afternoon. I'm very busy most of the time, though. I take mus

civil voice. "Come and play with m

lay in other children's houses,

," Maida

e called impetuously, "a little girl's been here who I think is the

choild do?" Grann

lf to think hard a moment. "Well, it's the queerest thing. I can't tell you a t

y," said Granny. "The woisest

d. "It's just like not taking any no

she walked into the livi

in the court. Little boys were playing top. Little girls were jumping rope. Once she saw a little girl in a scarlet cape come out of one of the yards. On one shoulder perched a fluffy kit

, stood a little boy and girl-a ragged, dirty pair. Their noses pressed so hard against the glass that they were fl

first," said the littl

ure. Maida could not decide which he looked most like-a f

k doll with the curly hai

tty. She had merry brown eyes and a merry little re

ig agate, second

ttle table, secon

knife, third,"

ttle chair, third

ame they were playing. She went to the

e way off, turned and stood as if they were not certain what to do. F

were playing," Maida said. "

y game," th

he Robin explained. "Didn'

N

e. You choose one thing for yours and they choose something else for theirs until everything in t

," Mai

the little pink doll with curly hair. "Here, these a

aimed. She kissed the little pink doll ecstatically

He did not look at Maida but he

ur name?" M

answered. "And this is

and see me again, Molly

ly answered, "and I'm goin

ly clutched to her breast. But Timmie stop

t evening. At six, Maida c

s the strangest thing-a drowsiness, as deep as a fairy's enchantment, fell upon her. She struggled with it for awhile, but she could not throw it off. The next thing she knew, Granny was helping her up the stairs, w

under her cheek. The next thing-bright sunlight wa