Three Little Women's Success: A Story for Girls

hardest time, and this year promised to be an exceptional one. An extra supply of candy must be made for the booth in the Arcade, as well as for those who sold her ca

cutting into squares great masses of chocolate caramels. She had been h

have been working so hard ever since eight o'clock, and it is now past el

-to say nothing of ordering our supplies. I don't, and I'm thanking my lucky stars that I can do my share of the work with a big spoon instea

hinking, Mary? If things go on at this rate you and I can never in the world handle the business. Why, it has taken me the whole morning to look after the letters and acknowledge the orders which came by the early mail. I haven't been able to do one single stroke in here, and now I have got to go down to South Riveredge. Charles told Mammy that we ought to ha

ed briskly. Mary did not answer at once; her pretty

e of it I think, although I don't k

se you tell me who she is, then maybe I

ns. We used to go

not? But if you think she is the sort of girl we would like to have ther

te Street. You might see him. They moved not l

the result of the burning of their home, and the name had not figured very pleasantly in the experience of that October, or the months which followed. S

her brother; I don't like to go to his of

ed up quic

mething in Constance's tone made her surmise that for some reason which she fail

ith her. But before she can sell candy or anything else she must have a place to sell it in, and it's up to me to scuttle off to the Arcade as fast as I can go. And, by the way, you've got to have more help here, Mary. Yes, you have. You nee

nd whom she felt would elevate her to a higher social plane, but her hopes had never been realized. Probably every family has a black sheep; Jim Willing had figured as that unenviable figure in his. It was the old story of the son born after his parents had been married a number of years, and several older sisters were waiting to spoil him; plenty of money to fling about, a wild college career of two years, marriage with a pretty housemaid and-disinheritance. It had required only twenty-three years to bring it all to pass, and the

t; Fanny another. Each was to "dr

your mother

of the shops in South Riveredge. Sewing doesn't agree with her, somehow; she s

of work will be better for her than the sewing, an

tell her to come early to-morrow morning. I'll have all this batch made, and the rest can wait until the morning; we've got a good lot ahead already." Mary

tner, but I mu

an arch for her Christmas trade. "Good! I knew it would. Couldn't possibly help it with such candy as that to back it

aghast at the recklessnes

ferred my patronage long since. Trouble is you realize where you have me cornered. You know I can't duplicate those candies anywhere. Now come along with me and let us arrange for the new quarters which are to replace the outgrown ones, and-mark my word-this business will ne

she, with her still limited experience, even after four years in her little business world, could look, for her's, while exceptional for her years and sex, could never match that of this man of the great, activ

, ostensibly to cast a critical eye over the Blairsdale-Devon Lunch Counter, but in

ng young cocks never dominated a poultry yard, and the sequel was inevitable. When they arrived at the crowing age the neighbors arose in revolt! Such a vociferous, discordant collection of birds had never fought and crowed themselves into public notice. Mammy became almost distracted, and was at her wits' end until a diplomatic move struck her: those roosters should win not only fame

respectful compliments of Mammy Blairsdale, who hope

erus!" Could dip

etically turned to the skies, his fighting and his squaking days ended forever, that reposed in

ing very explicit directions to Charles. Constance and Mr. Porter were

t but one to that in which the lunch counter s

l as not, and it is close enough to Charles fo

t for one month?"

r," urged Mr. Porter. "It's

o' one ob ma chillen fer to be at. Gobblin men-folks hyar at de lunch stan'; smokin' men-folks at de nex' one;

Porter, laughingly. "You know the Arcade doesn't s

dat chile rint a counter nex' door to a segar stan'?" snapped Mammy, her eyes

rl? Yes, I guess Mammy's judgment beats ours. Great head! So come on, Mammy, and let us have your sound advice in this

ght fer ter make dat out, I re

ne which had been rented until very recently by a stationer, who had profited so handsomely that he had built a large shop not far from the Arcade, and now wished to sub-

highest-priced arch in th

' you de very high-water mark quality? Who gwine ter 'spute dat? Go 'long an' rint yo' pla

orter, then sank upon one of the

the engine-room until I learn to read human nature as she can. Yes, it is the finest, highest-priced ar

to urge it. That conservative creature! And the way she expressed it! Why was I born a Blairsdale? It

to bring down the people from the floors above. Among them was Hadyn Stuyvesant, who went at once to the luncheon counter, quite unaware of the presence of a certain little lady near the entrance of the Arcade; but her back was toward the elevator. Fo

rode toward his office beside