The Children

He was unmistakably American, yet he seemed oddly out of place as, with arms piled high with bundles, he moved steadily through the crowd. There was a certain directness, and with all that

You can see that by the twinkle in the corner of his eye when someone calls him by that name. I wonder what could have brought him to the extremity of carrying bundles for twen

a little later, and in a d

other busy afternoon; one o

t of them are women trying to select books for boys and girls. Not one in ten

a splendid story. Don't you think so?" "I want a-a book for a boy fourteen years old. What can you recommend?" "Have you the Elsie books? Those are such sweet sto

r not. I'll tell you why. Nine times out of ten, when a woman customer says 'Is this a good book?' she has already made up her mind that it is a good bo

ne of those unfortunate moments arrived this very afternoon. A particularly unpleasant customer had said to her: "I want a book about a boy who was brough

e first "Laddie" was written years ago by a person who's name she did not recall, but who had written another book called something else. She had insisted on Lucile's a

laiting stray locks of hair and whose lips were saying: "I must make a train. I really must. D

ing in ahead of her turn, Lucile had the pleasure of seeing the custome

Broncho Buster Boys," she turned to answer a query. "That's a fifty-cent series which we

he Broncho

ded negative, had deliberately turned about and asked the same question of a

steady a tone as she could comma

Her words, though quite proper on the lips of a so

me to Lucile's li

hen a hand touched her shoul

ere! Wha

ir, full cheeks of wonderful color, and eyes of the deepest blue. Lucile took in all the beauty of her for the first time at a glance, and at the same moment cold terror struck to her heart. This

speak but uttering no sound, Lucile

again, that's all." Lucile felt a friendly pressure o

splashed down on either cheek before she could check them. Were they

an electrifying vision, and dashing away the tea

Lady," she assured herself. "She'

ng stand where stood the Mystery

a train. I really must." It was the harried and hurried lady of a half

ed upon her; and in the meantime, as was her wont, the My

speaking to a moment ago?" she breat

a package. Lots of them ask for string, or a piece of

that

as abou

ed Lucile. "Who

through which had been drawn and neatly tied a b

led Cordie. "How

ad and thrusting it in her pocket, Co

at last. "It was here a m

ha

ron r

you cut c

. You're supposed to turn such things in when they lay you off. But if it's gone, it's gone." Shrugging her shoulders,

at she does that for. This is the third time. It's the stran

e, "Blue Flames," was most amazing. A fresh truck load, three or four hundred co

e book, he told still more regarding the personality of the author and how he had gone about the task of gathering the material. All of the local color of the book was penned with minute exactness; the characters were true to life; their actions, while not pedantic, were such as w

s for a dollar. How is that possible? That it might have a large sale the author cut his royalty to one-third, and the p

e new and had little knowledge of the stock but who were zealous for quick sales, listened to his lucid story of the book, and having learned it

le two who had worked in that corner so long. She searched out Tommie, the young man of twenty who knew all about boys' books. She asked Morrison, of the fine bindings section, and even Emmy, the veteran inspector. All shook their heads. They had come down one morn

ty had been aroused. She wanted

that very evening. At least she found out who

low tones and laughing in notes quite as low. To her great surprise she saw that the person he

something! And he a sales-person! Ah well, our chief is a star-would have been a st

tell me all about Laurie Seymour; but I'd never dar

Seymour was a young man with a past broader than the four walls of the juv

rtist getting pictures from life; or an ac

" It was Rennie who brok

orget, for the time being, Laurie S