t a
time of so expensive an article. And pepper--his whole stock of pepper
at present was but three pounds!

He bowed his customers out, rubbing his hands together, praising the
day, the view--everything. Some enormously wealthy friend of the Judge,
without a doubt. Possibly the Premier from some other State--yes, most
likely a Premier--who else could want six tins of tongue? Doubtless he
was going to entertain the Ministers at a picnic at the waterfall.

"The Premier" came back after he had gone a step or two.

"Look here," he said, "just wrap me up some of that bacon and a few
eggs, and I'll take them with me now. We've nothing for breakfast at our
house."

Half-way down the hill again, Lynn, speechless with the thought of
telling Pauline and Muffie about her brilliant success, Max, a little
depressed--he could never walk before breakfast without feeling very
large and hollow inside--Hugh, blandly holding to him the parcel of eggs
and bacon, met an unexpected sight--Kate toiling along up the steep
grade on her bicycle.

"He-he-he!" giggled Lynn; "look at that funny fat woman on a bicycle."

"It's only a lack bicycle," said Max critically, "mine's led."

The funny fat woman got off in a most agile fashion when they came
alongside.

"My _dear_ Hugh!" she said, "and I imagined you still sound asleep. What
on earth are you after now?"

"Eggs and bacon," said Hugh promptly, "and you can just come home and
fry them for me. Exercise must wait for a more suitable time."

"Exercise!" panted the lady indignantly, "why, I was just killing
myself to get up to a store, and buy some butter for your breakfast, I
had quite forgotten to bring any."

"We have ordered it," said Hugh--"six pounds of it. My little lady
friend here informs me that it is the correct thing to order groceries
in half-dozens. I like doing the correct thing, though a doubt did cross
my mind as to the advisability of laying in six pounds of pepper."

"Six pounds of pepper! Oh, Hugh, you are joking."

She looked helplessly at Lynn.

But Lynn's sensitive little face was scarlet; she had called this
bicycle lady "a funny fat woman," and here she was a friend of this very
nice man's.

She did not know whether to gasp out an apology or remain silent. The
latter course commended itself, however, to her, as it ever does to
children.

"You don't mean to say you have given a grocery order without consulting
me, Hugh?" insisted the lady.

"Just a li