just a splendid one. Everybody says so. We couldn't be poor,
you know. She found out about God before I was old enough to talk, so
you see all her poor time came before I can remember."

The housekeeper glanced about her furtively. "Julia, don't you know you
shouldn't use your Creator's name on the street!" she exclaimed, when
she had made certain that no one was listening.

"Why not?" asked the child.

"Why--why--it isn't a proper place. Some one might hear you."

"Well, won't you let me get some candy now? If I knew what kind you
liked, Mrs. Forbes, I'd get it."

"I don't eat candy as a rule. It's not only extravagant, it's very
unhealthy."

The little girl smiled. "How do you suppose your stomach knows what you
put into it?" she asked. "I guess you're just a little--bit--afraid,
aren't you?"

"Odder than Dick's hatband!" quoth Mrs. Forbes again, mentally. "I take
horehound drops sometimes," she said aloud, "for a cold."

"Can't you sneeze a little now?" asked Jewel, amusement twinkling in her
blue eyes. "I do want so much to go in here."

"Don't tempt Providence by making fun of sickness, Julia, or you'll
live to regret it," returned Mrs. Forbes. "I don't mind getting some
horehound drops, but be careful now and don't spend too much. A little
girl's money always burns in her pocket."

"Yes'm," returned the child dutifully, skipping up to the door of the
shop and opening it.

Mrs. Forbes followed slowly, and once inside, fell into conversation
with the girl of whom she bought the cough candy. This gave Jewel
opportunity to buy beside her caramels one of the lovely yellow
chickens, which she designed for a special purpose.

"Now don't you eat that candy before lunch. It will take away your
appetite. It is nearly lunch time now," said Mrs. Forbes as they left
the store.

"And won't you either?" asked the child, offering the open caramel bag
with a spontaneous politeness which somehow made the housekeeper feel at
a disadvantage.

"No, thank you. Stop that car, Julia, and make them wait for me," she
said, making haste slowly.

Once within, it took Mrs. Forbes a minute or two to get her breath, but
she soon noticed that her companion's eyes were fixed upon a man seated
a little way from them across the car. A smile kept coming to the
child's lips, and at last the gentleman himself recognized that he was
an object of interest. He looked at the strange little girl kindly. Her
hand went unconsciously to t