ably took the goods, the money, and the slip to some central desk, where the note was received, its amount and number entered in a book, change given to the girl, a copy of the slip made and entered, girl's entry examined and approved, goods wrapped up, girl registered, plaits counted and entered on a slip of paper and copied by the girl in her book, girl taken to a hydrant and washed, number of towel entered on a paperslip and copied by the girl in her book, value of my note and amount of change branded somewhere on the child, and said process noted on a slip of paper and copied in her book the girl came to me, bringing my change and the package of Turkey red calico.

I had time for but very little work at the office that afternoon, and when I reached home, I handed the package of calico to my wife. She unrolled it and exclaimed:

"Why, this doesn't match the piece I gave you!"

"Match it!" I cried. "Oh, no! it doesn't match it. You didn't want that matched. You were mistaken. What you wanted was Turkey red third counter to the left. I mean

Turkey red is what they use."

My wife looked at me in amazement, and then I detailed to her my troubles.

"Well," said she, "this Turkey red is a great deal prettier than what I had, and you've got so much of it that I needn't use the other at all. I wish I had thought of Turkey red before."

"I wish from my heart you had," said I.

CLASS ACTIVITIES

1. Tell the story of the author's experience in buying a piece of red calico.

2. Read the funniest passage in the selection. What makes it funny? Is it funnier than "Hanging a Picture," Book One, p. 39?

3. Why did the clerk who sold the calico to Mr. Stockton look at him "rather strangely"?

4. Tell about the most amusing experience you ever had in a store. 5. Tell a story about a shopping trip of your father or uncle.

To-day, as he stormed around the store, he realized why she had taken such an interest in the arrangement of the shelf space; why a gap had been left in a prominent place. She desired a place for this silly stuff that wouldn't sell! He wanted to send it back, but, as it had been ordered, he would have to pay express on it both ways.

Ellie stood her ground, a determined expression in her face. She unpacked the heavy box, putting the gay organdies and voiles in the places she had arranged for them. One piece, of a delicate gray with small, bright flowers in it, she left on the counter; to the astonishment of the old man, she let a length of the dainty goods fall in graceful folds over a box placed below.

This was one of the notions she had brought back from Phoenix, whither she had gone on a spring shopping trip with Mrs. Matthews, wife of the superintendent at the Golden Glow Mine. How she had enjoyed that day! Her eager eyes noted every up-to-date detail in the big stores; but, to her surprise, Mrs. Matthews had bought only such goods as they might easily have carried in her uncle's store-plain but pretty ginghams for the Matthews children, a light-blue organdie for herself, a box of writing-paper, and a string of beads for Julie's birthday.

Ellie's little head was at once filled with ideas that coaxed for a chance to become solid facts. Her uncle's trip to Monmouth gave her an opportunity, and, after weeks of waiting, the boxes had been delivered and the storm had broken.

When they closed the store for the night, Ellie was tired. She was not so sure of success as she had been. But, at least, she had made an effort to improve matters.

With the morning came new courage, for unconsciously she was finding joy in the struggle; not as a relief from the monotony and loneliness of her life, for Ellie did not know what monotony meant. She felt herself rich in friends.

Her chum, Louise Prescott, the daughter of a wealthy ranchman, lived only ten miles away. The two girls often visited

were chums, often going together on long horseback rides to distant peaks that looked inviting. As the girl developed, Job loved to have her with him; he was delighted with her interest in everything in the little store. She even learned the prices of the goods and helped him sell!

Since Old Job had kept his store at the "summit" for thirty years he was sure he knew every side of the business. He thought that a good supply of beans and flour was all that was necessary. Most of his trade came from a goodsized Indian village which lay down the creek about a mile.

The old man had reached the age when he lived mostly in the past. He liked to talk of the "glorious" days. "Things were lively around here then," he used to say. "Why, for every dollar's worth I sell now, I used to sell fifty dollars. They were the good old times!"

"But why?" questioned Ellie, bringing him sharply to the present. "There are a lot more people here now, and we should do better." Then, with a gesture of impatience: "Uncle, there's no sense in it. We've got to get up to date." "Shucks!" said Job Lansing. "You don't know what

you're talking about.”

But Ellie always managed to have the last word. "I'm going to do something! See if I don't!"

And she had done it!

For weeks, now, Job Lansing had been quite pleased with her. She had never been so reasonable. She had taken a great notion to cleaning up the store. Not that he approved of her moving the goods around; but still, it was a woman's way to be everlastingly fussing about with a dust-cloth.

He had decided that this new interest on Ellie's part came from the feeling of responsibility he had put upon her two months before when he had been called to Monmouth. Before he went he gave his niece a few directions and told her how to make up the order for goods that had to go out the next day. He rode away feeling that the business would be safe in her hands.

To-day, as he stormed around the store, he realized why she had taken such an interest in the arrangement of the shelf space; why a gap had been left in a prominent place. She desired a place for this silly stuff that wouldn't sell! He wanted to send it back, but, as it had been ordered, he would have to pay express on it both ways.

Ellie stood her ground, a determined expression in her face. She unpacked the heavy box, putting the gay organdies and voiles in the places she had arranged for them. One piece, of a delicate gray with small, bright flowers in it, she left on the counter; to the astonishment of the old man, she let a length of the dainty goods fall in graceful folds over a box placed below.

This was one of the notions she had brought back from Phoenix, whither she had gone on a spring shopping trip with Mrs. Matthews, wife of the superintendent at the Golden Glow Mine. How she had enjoyed that day! Her eager eyes noted every up-to-date detail in the big stores; but, to her surprise, Mrs. Matthews had bought only such goods as they might easily have carried in her uncle's store-plain but pretty ginghams for the Matthews children, a light-blue organdie for herself, a box of writing-paper, and a string of beads for Julie's birthday.

Ellie's little head was at once filled with ideas that coaxed for a chance to become solid facts. Her uncle's trip to Monmouth gave her an opportunity, and, after weeks of waiting, the boxes had been delivered and the storm had broken.

When they closed the store for the night, Ellie was tired. She was not so sure of success as she had been. But, at least, she had made an effort to improve matters.

With the morning came new courage, for unconsciously she was finding joy in the struggle; not as a relief from the monotony and loneliness of her life, for Ellie did not know what monotony meant. She felt herself rich in friends.

Her chum, Louise Prescott, the daughter of a wealthy ranchman, lived only ten miles away. The two girls often visited

each other, for each had her own pony and was free to come and go as she wished. For the last two years, Louise had been away at school. She had returned the day before, and Ellie knew that early the next morning Louise would be loping her pony over the steep road that led to the little mountain store.

When Ellie was standing guard over the new goods fearing that her uncle, in a moment of anger, might order them returned, Louise rode up, and, throwing her reins forward over her pony's neck, leaped from the saddle and rushed into the

store.

"Oh, Ellie! it's good to get back, and I have four months of vacation. Won't we have a time! Why, you've been fixing up the store, Mr. Lansing. How lovely it looks! I must have Mama come up and see these pretty summer things." Turning again to Ellie, she threw her arms around her and whispered: "Come on out and sit on our dear old bluff. I just can't get enough of the hills to-day, and I want to talk and talk and talk."

But Louise did not do the talking this time. While her eyes were feasting on the gorgeous scenery before her, Ellie unburdened herself of her troubles. She told how she had ordered the goods on her own responsibility.

"Why, Ellie, how could you? I'd never have had the courage!"

"But I just had to, Lou. I don't want to leave the mountains, and I don't want to be poor all our lives. Uncle's getting old and set in his ways, and he can't seem to see that the store is dropping behind all the time. Dear old uncle! He's been so good to us! And now I'd like to help him."

"Yes, it's fine, if - ifif!" exclaimed Ellie, who was not quite so hopeful as she had been in the morning. Several Indian women had come into the store; while they had stared in astonishment at the pretty goods displayed on the counter, they had gone out without buying.

Job Lansing had shrugged his shoulders. Although not a