“Don’t let me interrupt you,” said the stranger. “I can wait,” and she stepped aside to let Tom Preston get change from a precious one dollar bill.

Nancy noticed that the young lady had all the known signs of college life. She wore a worsted tam o’ shanter (in summer), she also wore a sweater to match, with a tan golf skirt and—heavy stockings, ending in good, strong, walking Oxfords. If these signs were not collegian, thought Nancy, then the girl must be an actress which she obviously was not.

But she had so much personality, that was it, Nancy promptly decided while still counting out change for eager boys. Also, Nancy reasoned, she had such pronounced individuality, that one did not observe separately her brown hair, her blue eyes and her lustrous, fine healthy skin. She just looked perfect, at least to Nancy, who always loved the athletic type.

“Sanders’ girl!” Nancy was thinking. She didn’t know he had a daughter, but the girl looked like him, especially around her firm, determined mouth.

Ruth left her boys and was now offering to wait on Miss Sanders.

“I’m Sibyl Sanders, you know,” she told Ruth, “and I just dropped in to see if I couldn’t pick up something for dad.”

“We’re having quite a sale,” replied Ruth pleasantly. “When things thin out a little I should like to introduce you to Nancy Brandon. This is her idea of a vacation,” Ruth added quizzically.

“Isn’t it splendid?” replied Sibyl, brightening with enthusiasm. “I just ran up to Long Leigh to see dad. He insists upon spending a lot of time up here,” she continued, “and I feel I must look after him a little. I wonder if you have any pieces of wire or light springs, around? He has use for that sort of material.”

“Wire, springs!” Nancy heard the request and a joke, that the disappearing man might slide away on wires and springs, flashed humorously through her mind. But again she found no chance even to whisper the joke to Isabel, for there were still boys demanding change.

In the course of an hour, however, the youngsters were all “cleared out.” Their wants had been supplied, and the girls, with Sibyl, were chatting away about the first results of the sale.

“If they don’t go trying things out and then want us to change them,” worried Nancy. “I told them positively we would exchange just absolutely not—a—thing,” 

 Prev. P 47/111 next