ducky! We’ll have a regular party, and I’ll ask—How many have you ordered for?” she demanded abruptly.

“Two quart bricks. That’s counted twelve servings,” replied her mother. “Of course, one brick is for Ted, and you must help him a little.”

“Of course, Mumsey-love,” promised Nancy. “We’ll get every body out and close up shop from one until two, and have a regular party!”

From that time until Nancy was almost, but not quite, ready “for the fray,” as she expressed it, she kept herself in a flutter of excitement. Her mother went into town as usual on the seven forty-five trolley, and even then there was a waiting list at the front door of the shop, children peering in the two broad windows which looked out onto the old-fashioned long porch.

“Come on, Ted, hurry-up,” begged Nancy as her brother tarried over his breakfast. “The girls won’t be here until eight, and you’ve got to go outside and try to keep those boys quiet. They’ll be coming through the window if you don’t.”

“Oh, that’s Buster, making all that racket,” declared Ted, getting another look at the paper which he was not supposed to read at the table. “I’ll go out and talk to them, in a minute,” he promised laconically.

“Please do, then,” begged his sister. “You take it as easy as if we didn’t have a big responsibility.”

“What responsibility?” he asked, actually deciding to move his plump little self from the table. “I can’t see what you’re all so excited about.”

“Of course you can’t. But I’ll tell you. Everybody, for miles and miles, knows about this sale, and we’ve got to get busy.” Nancy was peering anxiously out of the side window. “I do hope,” she said again, “that the girls will get here soon.”

“Is that Very-scary girl coming?” asked Ted. He was trying to set his blouse straight around his sun-burned neck.

“You mean Vera. She’s gone away for a while—”

“I hope she stays away,” snapped Ted. “I can’t seem to like her—”

“I’m sure that’s too bad,” mocked Nancy. “She would feel dreadfully bad to hear that.”

“Oh, don’t be funny. Listen! They’re hammering on the door. You had better open it or they’ll break the glass,” cautioned the boy.

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