ese last few days with some of South
Harniss's most prominent people--permanent residents, not summer people.
From what they and others tell me I am convinced that the sole reason
why my uncles' business has fallen behind is because of a lack of
keeping up to the times in the face of competition. Everyone likes Uncle
Zoeth and Uncle Shadrach and wishes them well--they couldn't help that,
you know."

She made this assertion with such evident pride and with such absolute
confidence that Mr. Green, although inclined to smile, felt it might
be poor judgment to do so. So he agreed that there was no doubt of
Shadrach's and Zoeth's universal popularity.

"Yes," went on Mary, "they are dears, both of them, and they think
everyone else is as honest as they are, which is a mistake, of course.
So some people impose on them and don't pay their bills. I intend to
stop that."

She evidently expected her listener to make some comment, so he said,
"Oh, indeed!"

"Yes," continued Mary. "I intend to stop their trusting everyone under
the sun and I shall try my hardest to collect from those they have
already trusted. There is almost enough due to pay every bill we owe,
and I believe two-thirds of that is collectible if one really goes after
it."

"And you will go after it, I presume?"

"I most certainly shall. You are smiling, Mr. Green. I suppose it sounds
like a joke, a girl like myself making such statements about things men
are supposed to understand and women not to understand at all. It isn't
a joke in this case, because I think I understand my uncles business
better than they do. I think I can collect what is owed us, pay what we
owe, and make money there in South Harniss. But to do that I must have
time and, by and by, credit, for we need goods. And that is what I came
to talk to you about."

She had brought with her copies of the Hamilton and Company trial
balance, also a list of the firm's debtors and creditors. These she
put upon the desk before Mr. Green and ran a finger down the pages
with explanatory remarks such as, "This is good, I know," "This can be
collected but it may take a lawyer to get it," or, as in the case of
'Rastus Young's long-standing indebtedness, "This isn't worth anything
and shouldn't be counted."

"You see," she said, in conclusion, "we aren't in such a VERY bad state;
it isn't hopeless, anyway. Now here are the accounts we owe. Yours is
the largest. Here are the others. All these bills are go