hen entered the store. Johnny tried to obtain a glimpse of their faces
as he spoke to them, but he did not succeed, for their features were
concealed by the collars of their pea-jackets, which were pulled up
around their ears, and by their slouch hats, which were drawn down over
their eyes.

"A couple of sailors, with the ague," soliloquized the clerk, snatching
up his hat and fanning himself vigorously, when he thought how near
sweltering he would be if he was bundled up like that.

The customers stood in the middle of the floor, looking about them with
every expression of curiosity, like country fellows who had just come
out of their native woods, while Johnny leaned one elbow on the counter
and waited for them to make known their wants.

"Where's the boss?" inquired one of them at length.

"Do you mean Mr. Henry? He has gone home."

"Will he be back to-night?"

Johnny replied that he would not.

There was another long pause, during which the men gazed about the
store, and appeared to be examining every article of merchandise in it,
and finally one of them walked up to the counter, while his companion
strolled toward the little office where Johnny slept. He first looked at
the clerk, as if trying to recognize an old acquaintance in him, and
asked: "Got any pipes?"

"Plenty of them, sir," was the prompt reply. "We have a fine assortment,
that was just received from Boston this morning."

Johnny thought he had by this time become well enough posted in his
business to tell, by the appearance of his customers, what quality of
goods they wanted. He thought this man was a common sailor, and he put
out for his inspection a box of cheap clay pipes. The man took his hands
out of his pockets to examine the pipes, and Johnny saw that they were
fair and white, looking very unlike the brown, toil-hardened hands of a
sailor.

"He must be a captain," thought the clerk. "If he is, he wants something
better than a clay pipe. Here are some genuine imported meerschaums, in
the showcase, sir," said he.

The customer was a long time making up his mind which he wanted. He
looked first at the clay pipes, then at the meerschaums, weighed several
of the latter in his hand, and finally he pulled out his pocket-book.
Then it took him some time longer to find a five cent piece; and when he
had paid for one of the clay pipes he rested his hands on the counter,
and looked up at the articles on the shelves, as if wondering if he did
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