a very good run of
custom.

This was the case with Miss Calthea's establishment. It had become rare
for any one even to propose custom, but she did not in the least waver
in regard to her plan of closing up the business left to her by her
father. As has been said, she did not wish to continue this business, so
she laid in no new stock, and as she had gradually sold off a great
deal, she expected to be able in time to sell off everything. She did
not adopt the usual methods of clearing out a stock of goods, because
these would involve sacrifices, and, as Miss Calthea very freely said
to those who spoke to her on the subject, there was no need whatever for
her to make sacrifices. She was good at waiting, and she could wait.
When she sold the few things which remained on the shelves--and she, as
well as nearly every one in the village, knew exactly what these things
were without the trouble of looking--she would retire from business, and
have the shop altered into a front parlor. Until then the articles which
remained on hand were for sale.

Miss Calthea was busily sewing, but she was much more busily engaged in
thinking. So earnestly was her mind set upon the latter occupation that
she never raised her head to look out at the special varieties of
hollyhocks, dahlias, and marigolds which had lately begun to show their
beauties in the beds beneath her window, nor did she glance towards the
door to see if any one was coming in. She had much more important things
to think about than flowers or customers.

Mrs. Petter had driven over to Lethbury that morning, and had told
Calthea all the news of the Squirrel Inn. She had told her of the
unexpected arrival of Lanigan Beam; of his unwillingness to go to
Lethbury, as he had originally intended, and of the quarters that had
been assigned to him in the ladder-room. She also told how Lanigan, who
now wished to be called Mr. Beam, had a wonderful plan in his mind for
the improvement of Lethbury, but whether it was electric lights, or gas,
or water, or street railroads, or a public library, he would not tell
anybody. He was going to work in his own way, and all he would say about
the scheme was that he did not want anybody to give him money for it.
And this, Mrs. Petter had remarked, had helped Mr. Petter and herself to
believe what Lanigan had said about his amendment, for if anything could
show a change in him it would be his not wanting people to give him
money.

Mrs. Petter h