68 TROTTY’S WEDDING TOUR.

gentleman’s name on along with her’s, too, — did you notice ?
Curious thing! Yes, that ’s a smart girl.”

Did she support the family and educate that boy? the
editor would like to know. The clerk laughed a saucy clerk’s
laugh.

* Should n’t wonder if she did! Madam, folks say that
girl is worth fifty thousand dollars if she’s worth a cent!”

Miss Jasper came out of the counting-room to watch the
customers with the bracket walk up the street. She, too,
looked confused. It seemed to her as if Icarus had been in
the store. She felt suddenly very inky and stupid. The
brackets on the counter turned mistily into a bulwark of
“ Elements,” and the two ladies in the street had a hazy air
as if they had fallen into the Midsummer Night’s Dream.

When they turned to look back at the sign, the furniture
dealer suddenly smiled. She would have enjoyed calling
them back, — would have enjoyed it very much.

But Poppet and Carter were in sight with the lounges, and
business was business, and could not wait,—no, not even
for the editor of the Wednesday Evening Early Visitor.

This was a printed story ; so, when Lill had finished, they
cut the edges nicely, and, having trimmed it off to match the
size of their book, Lill stitched it carefully in. There was a
[ttle difference in the type, and some in the regularity of the
printing, but nobody thought of that. You got along so
fast !