ll
upon boards and tables from the poisonous papers, and a big gramophone
made a discordant noise. Sadie remembered Keller's pride in the machine
and how he had bought it, to amuse the boys, after hearing an electric
organ in a Montreal restaurant. Yet she knew her craving for society
must be gratified at such places as this; a rare visit to the settlement
was the only change from monotonous toil.

When she offered her meal-ticket at the desk the clerk shook his head.

"You don't need to open your wallet in this house. The boss left word
he'd be glad to see you at the store."

Sadie, who had meant to see the proprietor, complied, and found him and
his wife in the back office, where she and Bob had often sat. The woman
gave Sadie a friendly smile.

"I hope they served you well. When you're in town we want you to use the
house like it still belonged to you."

Sadie made a suitable reply. She had charged a good price for the
business, but had stuck to the Keller traditions and made a straight
deal. Stock and furniture had been justly valued, and when the buyers
examined the accounts she had frankly told them which debts were
doubtful and which were probably bad. It was about these things they
wished to talk to her, and she meant to indulge them.

"How's trade?" she asked, to give them a lead.

"In one way, it's good," replied the man. "We're selling out as fast as
we can get the truck; but there's a point I want your views about. The
cheque I gave you wiped off most all the capital I had, wholesalers put
up their prices if you make them wait, and a number of the boys have a
bad habit of letting their bills run on. Now, if you can give me some
advice----."

"Certainly," said Sadie, who thought the woman looked anxious. "Suppose
you read out the names and what they owe?"

The man opened a ledger, and she told him what she knew about his
customers; whom he could trust and whom he had better refuse further
credit. Then she looked thoughtful when he said: "Wilkinson, of the
range--"

"He didn't deal with us."

"But you know everybody round here and can tell me if he's likely to
make good," the man urged.

"How much does he owe you?" Sadie asked.

The man named a rather large sum and she pretended to consider.

"Well," she replied, "the boys have probably told you that Wilkinson's
not a friend of mine, and since that's so I'm not going to say much
about his character."

"It's not his character we're curious a