half dozen."

"Is he going to send the cloth?"

"I nearly forgot that, too. I have an order on Barclay & Co. for the
necessary amount of cloth. I can go up there to-morrow morning and get
it."

"That will take you from your work, Paul."

"Well, I can close up for a couple of hours."

"I don't think that will be necessary. I will go up myself and present
the order, and get them to send it home for me."

"Will they do that?"

"It is their custom. Or, if the bundle isn't too large. I can bring it
home myself in the car."

"That's all right, then. And now, mother, as it's past eleven o'clock, I
think we may as well both go to bed."

The next day Paul went as usual to his business, and Mrs. Hoffman, after
clearing away the breakfast, put on her bonnet and shawl, and prepared
to go for the materials for the shirts.

The retail store of Barclay & Co. is of great size, and ranks among the
most important in New York. It was not so well filled when Mrs. Hoffman
entered as it would be later. She was directed to the proper counter,
where she presented the order, signed by Mr. Preston. As he was a
customer of long standing, there was no difficulty about filling the
order. A bundle was made up, which, as it contained the materials for
twelve shirts, necessarily was of considerable size.

"Here is your bundle, ma'am," said the clerk.

Mrs. Hoffman's strength was slender, and she did not feel able to carry
the heavy bundle offered her. Even if she took the car, she would be
obliged to carry it a portion of the way, and she felt that it would
overtask her strength.

"Don't you send bundles?" she asked.

"Sometimes," said the clerk, looking superciliously at the modest attire
of the poor widow, and mentally deciding that she was not entitled to
much consideration. Had she been richly dressed, he would have been very
obsequious, and insisted on sending home the smallest parcel. But there
are many who have two rules of conduct, one for the rich, and quite
a different one for the poor, and among these was the clerk who was
attending upon Mrs. Hoffman.

"Then," said Mrs. Hoffman, "I should like to have you send this."

"It's a great deal of trouble to send everything," said the clerk,
impertinently.

"This bundle is too heavy for me to carry," said the widow,
deprecatingly.

"I suppose we can send it," said the clerk, ill-naturedly, "if you
insist upon it."

Meanwhile, though he had not observed it, his employer ha