ehind the
smiles. Trade had not been very brisk of late, while illness in the home
had made the expenses heavy. Her favourite little brother was still
ailing, and seemed to make no progress. The doctor had said he needed
change of air and nourishing food; but how could the doctor's orders be
obeyed when money was so scarce?

The morning was getting on, and still the cart had not lost much of its
load. Smiles were more difficult to manage as the hope of being able to
take home something dainty for Dicky's supper grew less.

A lady with her little boy had just passed, but looks of admiration were
all they gave. In the distance an old gentleman appeared, and he was
even a more unlikely customer. He peered through his spectacles, and
seemed too much wrapped up in his own thoughts to spare attention for
anything else.

As he was passing the cart he slipped, and would have fallen had not
Mary put out her arm quickly to steady him. But, alas! in doing so the
flower-pot she was holding fell, and lay in fragments on the pavement,
with the delicate blooms of the azalea quite ruined.

'Thank you, my dear,' the gentleman said. 'It was kind of you to come to
an old man's help.' But he did not notice the broken flower-pot, and
passed on, while Mary gazed in dismay at what meant a loss they could so
ill afford.

'Run after him, my girl,' her father said. 'Tell him he must pay for
that flower. A fine thing to come damaging other folk's property, and to
slip off without a word!'

But at that moment a girl came hurrying along the pavement. 'Oh,' she
cried, 'I saw what happened. That is my grandfather, and he is nearly
blind. I must overtake him, and I am sure he will come back and repay
you.'

Mary watched anxiously, and when they arrived, the old man leaning on
the girl's arm, her spirits rose again.

'My grand-daughter says I always get into mischief when she leaves me
for a minute,' he said, smiling. Then he put his hand in his pocket and
took out a few coins. 'Will this make good the mischief I have done?' he
asked.

'Oh, sir, it is too much,' Mary said. 'The price of the flower was only
eighteen-pence.'

'But I must pay for my rudeness in running away without apologising, and
you can buy a ribbon for yourself with the extra money.'

'I shall get something a great deal more useful than that,' she said.

'You seem to be a sensible young woman for your age. I wonder what this
useful purchase will be?'

'Something to m