Nancy Brandon

asket was filled-with a small boy, who took turns rolling it like a boat and bumping it up and down like a fli

n her teens. She was also just now in her glory, for after many vicissitudes and

ou know it's simply a wonderful

s no question in

ht to. But, of

o. Boys!!" No mi

be ashamed of yourself. T

Who said anythi

other's pe

us cooped up all vacation." H

ave patted it without pausing but her small brother Ted would then have been less impressed by her assumed dignity,

not pause to do so. He kept right on rocking and snapping the blade of his pen

w, even mother has come around to agree with me. She's going right on

and seething irony hissed through Teddy's words. He even flipped the pen-kn

part." Nancy lifted up two d

d tumbled out of the basket, pushed it over until it banged into a soap box,

irls, Ted," replied his sist

s, Teddy and Nancy were disagreeing. But there really wasn't anything unusual about that, for their natures were different

a darling Ted was! So honest and so scrappy! Of all things hateful to Na

down of a couple of china pieces, but further than that Nancy made not the slightest headway. A small mirror hung in a

black luster in spite of its pronounced curl. Her eyes were dark, snappy and meaningful. They could mean love, as when Ted slammed the door, or they could mean danger, as when a boy kic

or the store alarm, sent the girl d

told herself, "there's always some

she discerned outside, the figure of an elderly woman. It was

he door fastened when I'm alone, as I migh

" cautioned the woman who was stepping in with the air of proprietorship, and with

cation." Nancy was making friends with Tiny, the dog, but after a polite sniff or two Tiny was of

surveyed Nan

le boy," she said, "but what abou

d, and years older," declared Nancy, p

hat they seemed like a very feature of her face. She was a capable looking, elderly woman,

pologetically. "You see, mother goes to business

ve you a chance to try business. But for a girl so young-Come back

t to start in," interrupted Nancy. "They say

e was busy straightening a box of spools that lay upon the little counter, but from her auto

look at mother. What would she have done

ighed. "Being a

wnsend. Someone came in for linen thread last night and Teddy looked for it. I'm sure he gave them a ball of cord, for all the cord was scattered aro

e in a fidgety, nervous way. Nancy quickly decided this was due to regret th

of rug, evidently his own personal property. The fireplace was closed up and t

ho was moving about in a so

to you to be around

ter thir

incredulously. "Did you and your

own on the old hickory chair that stood by the

In fact, so far as I was concerned, we might have g

ntervened Nancy, kindly. "We love each othe

nt," insisted Miss Townsend. "With me and Elmer," she

ncy had really wanted to settle the store. She would love to do that, to put all the little things in their places,

ed up," she remarked. "Mother doesn't intend to b

ce," she looked about critically, "and yet I could be just as interested. I won

she was wishing earnestly that the prim Miss Townsend w

this claim, "and I'm sure mother would be better pleased if I put the shop in order. You can come in and see me again when I'm all fixe

r the hearth shelf where matches, in a tin containe

ing?" the girl aske

at dog of late. It was one of the things that Elmer and I were constantly fussing over. Tiny w

her. He barked in the happy fashion that goes with rapid tail wagging,

ended to take thin

things out of the stove, and Tiny al

nny?" asked the woman

said Nancy. "All dogs have q

end, once more picking up a small box of notions. "You mu

and mother may come home to lunch." This possibility brought real anxiety to Nancy. If she had only slicked up the

had most carefully rolled all but a very small end, walked over to Nancy, w

you really have

. "I hope so,

that I think you

hat too, Miss Townsend." She was surprised at the woman's manner and pu

n," suggested

cy, in despair now of ever ca

herself in the big chair that was serving as storage quar

ply choking w

proud they won't or can't

ted Nancy. "I'm th

send. "I never could believe that Elmer, m

er?" Nancy spoke up.

ess shown on Miss Townsend's face was now unmistakab

you?" she

I want is to come

ly for your old plac

r hand bag, nervously. "But I'm no silly woman. We've agreed to sell this place

that," again Nancy inte

ot Shop for you. You'll be sure to make friends, and that's what counts next to bargains, in busines

aused and bit her thin lip. She seemed

n perhaps you would like to help me. But I really would like to

end, without appearing to hear Nanc

on? About

ouble before, but I'm sorry to say, I can't believe he's telling me the tru

as beginning to have doubts of

" (a long, low, breathful sigh,) "some things we have individual opinions abou

ourse not, Mi

ally going now and Tiny with her. "And perhaps it would be just as well not to s

l?" asked bewildered Nancy

re a long time, you know." The dark eyes were glistening behind th

screen door and

our brother will-be happy-here," she choked on the words and Nancy had an impression of impending t

n Sarah Townsend's neck was jerked out of place,

y gently, "and come a

s, dear,