I'll get one down for you, Sue."

But as she was going to do this a man entered the store. He was Mr.
Flynt, and Sue heard Mrs. Golden sigh when she saw him.

"You'll have to wait a minute about that oatmeal," said the storekeeper
to George. "I'll get it down for you in a little while. I have to see
this gentleman first."

George was willing to wait, but Sue was anxious to help in the store,
and as she saw that Mrs. Golden was going to be busy talking to Mr.
Flynt, the little girl decided she could get down the box of oatmeal
herself. She felt sure that Mrs. Golden would have trouble with Mr.
Flynt who would want money, and Mrs. Golden had very little to pay.

"I'll get the box of oatmeal for you, George," said Sue. "I know where
it is."

She climbed up on the counter by means of a box, and stretched up her
little hands and arms to the shelf on which the cereal was stacked. Sue
reached for a box, managing to get hold of it by stretching as far as
she could and standing on her tiptoes. But as she pulled the one box out
it caught on several others standing in line on the shelf.

"Look out!" cried George, as he saw what was going to happen.

But it was too late. Sue could not get out of the way, and a moment
later a shower of pasteboard boxes of oatmeal and other things fell all
around her.

"What is happening?" cried Mrs. Golden, hearing the clattering sound.
She came hurrying from the back of the store where she had gone to talk
quietly to Mr. Flynt.

"Everything is going to fall!" cried George.

But it was not quite so bad as this. Sue kept her hands raised above her
so nothing would hit her head, though one or two boxes did bump her a
little.

Box after box slipped from the shelf, falling on the floor, on the
counter, and all around poor little Sue!

CHAPTER XXIII

THE PONY EXPRESS

Bunny Brown ran out of the storeroom, in his hand a hammer with which he
had been opening the box of prunes. Mrs. Golden gave a cry of alarm as
she heard the clatter of the boxes falling around Sue. Mr. Flynt joined
Bunny in a rush to help the little girl. As for George, he was so
frightened by the sudden toppling of things from the shelf that a tune
he had started to whistle died away and he got ready to run out of the
store.

"Mercy sakes! what is going on in here?" cried Mrs. Clark, entering the
store as the boxes ceased falling. "Is anybody hurt?"

No one knew for a moment, as Sue had uttered no cry save the