His senses
were sharpened, and he got a keen delight from them, which stimulated
his spirit like wine. He perceived for the first time a perfume from
the green plants in his window-box, which seemed to grow before his
eyes and give an odor like the breath of a runner. He heard whole
flocks of birds in the sky outside. He distinguished quite clearly
one bird-song which he had never heard before. His newspaper rustled
with astonishing loudness when he turned the pages, his cigar tasted
to an extreme which he had never before noticed. The leaves of the
plants and the tree-boughs outside cut the air crisply. His
window-shade rattled so loudly that he could not believe it was
simply that. A great onslaught of the splendid wind filled the room,
and everything waved and sprang as if gaining life. Then suddenly,
without the slightest warning, came a shower of the confection known
as molasses-peppermints through the door of the office. They are a
small, hard candy, and being thrown with vicious emphasis, they
rattled upon the bare floor like bullets. One even hit Anderson
stingingly upon the cheek. He sprang to his feet and looked out.
Nothing was to be seen except the young clerk, standing, gaping and
half frightened, yet with a lurking grin. Anderson regarded him with
amazement. An idea that he had gone mad flashed through his mind.

"What did you do that for, Sam?" he demanded.

"I didn't do it."

"Who did?"

"That kid that was in here last night. That Carroll boy. He run in
here and flung that candy, and out again, before I could more 'n' see
him. Didn't know what were comin'."

Anderson returned to his office, and as he crossed the threshold
heard a duet of laughter from Sam and the older clerk. His feet
crushed some of the candy as he resumed his seat. He took up his
newspaper, but before he had fairly commenced to read he heard the
imperious sound of a girl's voice outside, a quick step, and a
dragging one.

"Come right along!" the girl's voice ordered.

"You lemme be!" came a sulky boy's voice in response.

"Not another word!" said the girl's. "Come right along!"

Anderson looked up. Charlotte Carroll was entering, dragging her
unwilling little brother after her.

"Come," said she again. She did not seem to regard Anderson at all.
She held her brother's arm with a firm grip of her little, nervous
white hand. "Now," said she to him, "you pick up every one of those
molasses-peppermint drops, every single one.