d some ink I'll
make you a sign to put in that oatmeal window," offered the old soldier.
"Those signs are all right, Bunny," said Uncle Tad. "But for a special
sale you want a special sign. Let me see now," he went on, as Mrs.
Golden got him what he had asked for. "You have made those oatmeal boxes
into the shape of a fort with guns. Now I must make a sign to go with
it. Let me see. Ah, I have it!"
He was busy with the ink for several minutes, and then he held up a sign
which read:
FORT-IFY YOUR CONSTITUTION
WITH THIS OATMEAL
"There!" exclaimed Uncle Tad, "this ought to bring more customers!"
"Ha! Ha!" laughed Mrs. Golden. "That's a pretty good joke!"
Bunny, Sue, and Charlie could not see anything funny, or like a joke, in
the sign. But then it was not intended for children, so it did not
matter.
But men and women passing in the street and pausing to read what Uncle
Tad had printed, seemed to think it was odd, for they stopped, read it,
laughed or chuckled, and then either passed on or came in and bought
some oatmeal. And quite a few came in, so that by night Mrs. Golden had
sold nearly all of the cereal.
"My goodness!" she said, when it was time for Bunny, Sue, and Charlie to
go home. "This has been a wonderful day. Could you come over to-morrow?"
she asked. "I don't mean to work," she added quickly. "For I'm afraid
your mothers will think you're doing too much for me. But I mean could
you come over and bring your dog and cat to put in the window. They
certainly brought the crowd."
"Yes, we'll bring Splash," said Bunny.
"And I'll bring my kitten," offered Charlie.
"And we'll come and help you sell things!" laughed Sue. "We like it,
don't we?" she asked the boys, and of course they said they did.
The first attempt of Bunny and Sue to advertise Mrs. Golden's store had
been very successful. Of course Uncle Tad had told them how to do it,
and Charlie Star had helped by bringing his kitten and training her with
Bunny and Sue. So the special oatmeal sale made quite a bit of talk in
that section of Bellemere near the little corner store.
Of course Mrs. Golden did not make a great deal of money, for the profit
on each thing she sold, even the many boxes of oatmeal, was small. But
it brought new customers to her store, and she was well pleased with
what had happened.
"And if Philip can only get that legacy," she murmured to herself that
night, "things will be easier for me.
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