that's left in town."

XII

AN AMAZING CHRISTMAS

Holiday bargains in Carthage were not brilliant. After being pawed
over for several weeks, they were depressing indeed. When the Budlongs
strode into Strouther and Streckfuss's, it was nearly ten o'clock at
night. The sales-wretches, mostly pathetic spinsters of both sexes,
were gaunt and jaded. They yawned incessantly and held on to the
counters.

Even Messrs. Strouther and Streckfuss had the nap worn off their plushy
sleekness. They were surveying the wreckage, and dolefully realizing
that some of the Christmas bills would not be paid by the Fourth of
July.

When the Budlongs made their irruption, they were not received
cordially. Word had gone abroad that the Budlongs were buying all
their Christmas presents out of town. They must be, for they bought
none in. This treachery to home industry was bitterly resented. Then
Budlong galvanized everybody with a cry like a flash of lightning:

"I want to buy nearly everything in the shop. Get busy."

It was too late to select. Mr. and Mrs. Budlong with their lengthy
list in hand sprinted up one aisle and down another, pointing,
prodding, rarely pausing to say "How much?" but monotonously chanting:
"Gimme this! Gimme that! Gimme two of these! Gimme six of them!
Gimme that! Gimme this! Gimme them!"

They bought glaring garden jars and ghastly vases, scarf pins that
would disturb the peace, silly bisque figurines for mantels and
what-nots, combs and brushes that would raise the hair on end instead
of allaying it, oxidized silverized lead pencils, button hooks, tooth
brushes, nail files, cuticle knives, pin cushions, ink stands, paper
weights, picture frames, bits of lace and intimate white things with
ribbons in them--Mr. Budlong turned away while she priced these.

Strouther and Streckfuss were in a panic of joy at the situation. They
managed in the excitement to work off a number of old horrors that had
been refused for years and years--ancient, dust-stained landmarks on
the shelves. Mr. Strouther showed the things, Mr. Streckfuss wrote the
list of purchases,--he made many mistakes in prices, but strangely
never to his own damage; and the entire staff of assistants followed,
taking down, and wrapping up, and rushing parcels to the door, where
they were bundled onto a wagon.

Mr. Budlong should have been a medieval general. He pillaged that
store with the thoroughness of the Crusaders lootin