she
concluded. "That's what Ann does when I've stepped out for a moment,
and she doesn't know the price of a thing somebody inquires for. Why,
the child will chat away as cleverly as possible about the new electric
lights in the town, or the spring flower-show, or what not, and nobody
could ever guess that she is only filling up the time till I come back!
And that's what you must try and do." With these words Mrs. Winter
left the shop.

It was a funny position for Madge, left all alone in charge of a shop.
If anybody had told her that it was going to happen she would have been
delighted at such an amusing prospect, and would certainly not have
been troubled by any modest doubts as to her power of selling like a
regular shop-woman. But now that the situation had actually come to
pass she felt unusually nervous, and very much hoped that her talents
would not be tested by any customer coming while she was alone. For
the first quarter of an hour she stood anxiously staring through the
glass at the passers-by, expecting each person to stop and come in at
the door. Nobody came, however, and in spite of Mrs. Winter's repeated
assurances of the popularity of her little shop, it seemed strangely
neglected that afternoon by the inhabitants of Churchbury.

Madge gradually became calmer as she found that nothing was going to
happen, and with the comfortable reflection that Mrs. Winter must be
back before long she began to amuse herself by examining the contents
of the shop.

CHAPTER XV.

A CUSTOMER.

It was really very interesting to be inside the counter instead of
outside, and in a position to examine everything carefully without any
interference. On the rare occasions when Madge, Betty, and John went
shopping, it always seemed to them as if no sooner had they caught a
glimpse of some especially fascinating book, picture, or toy, than they
were instantly hauled away to one of those dull linen-draper's
establishments in which grown-up people so mysteriously delight to
linger. As for examining anything closely, that was quite out of the
question when they went shopping with Miss Thompson. Ever since the
time when Betty had knocked two china ornaments off a shelf and broken
them to pieces while stretching out her hand to pick up a pepper-pot in
the shape of an owl, there had been a strict rule that the children
should touch nothing in shops. It was a dreadfully dull rule, because,
of course, nobody can look at