e molasses puddle--yes, she was actually sitting in
it now--looked up, thought about the matter for a moment, and then
answered, saying:

"No, thank you, I'm not hurt. But I'm stuck fast. I can't get up."

It was very sticky molasses.

Mrs. Golden, thinking more about the waste of her precious molasses than
about Sue for the moment, reached over and shut off the spigot. It had
caught and was hard to close, which was why Sue could not do it.

Fortunately, however, the little girl had nearly closed it before the
quart measure was quite full, and not so much of the molasses had run
out on the floor as might have if the spigot had been wide open all the
while. But, as it was, there was enough to make Sue fall, and to hold
her there in the sticky mess after she had sat down so hard.

"Dear me, what a mess!" exclaimed one of the customers.

"Isn't it!" said the other.

"I--I'm awful sorry," faltered Sue. "My father will pay for the molasses
I let run out, Mrs. Golden!"

"Oh, don't worry about that," said the old lady, though she was a bit
worried over the loss, for nearly a pint of the sweet stuff had run
away. "It's you I'm thinking of," she said. "Are you sure you aren't
hurt?"

"No," answered Sue. "But my dress is. Oh, how am I going to get home?"
she went on, as she pulled up the edge of her skirt and saw how dirty
and sticky it was.

"You'll have to get into the bath tub, clothes and all," said one of the
customers.

"It's like when I fell in the brook," half sobbed Sue.

"There, never mind!" said Mrs. Golden kindly. "Here, little boy," she
said, reaching over and lifting up the brimming measure of sweet stuff,
"take your molasses and run along. Then I'll clean up here."

Leaning over, to keep her feet out of the puddle, Mrs. Golden helped Sue
to rise, though it was a bit hard on account of the sticky molasses.
Then the little girl's dress was taken off and she was sent into Mrs.
Golden's bedroom.

"I'll wash this dress and your petticoat out for you, Sue," said Mrs.
Golden, when her thread customers were gone. "But it will hardly be dry
for you to wear home before dark."

"If you should see Bunny, you could send him home to get another dress
for me," Sue suggested.

"Yes, I could do that," agreed Mrs. Golden. "I'll see if Bunny is coming
after I put your clothes to soak."

But Bunny was off playing ball that day, and did not come to the corner
store. However, fat Bobbie Boomer happened to pass, and