y, freedom's monstrous
industrious.' That is what I think about these times,--'they's
monstrous industrious.' Goodness, I have gone and told a story!"

"I shall have to take you home before you transgress again," said her
niece, rising.

"Don't go. We haven't decided what we must do," urged Miss Virginia.

"What do you think, Mrs. Millard?" asked Madelaine, with an upward
glance, and flattering emphasis.

Mrs. Millard caressed the hand that lay on her lap as she replied, "My
own feeling is that we should refuse our patronage--not that they are
likely to have anything we'd care to buy--and use our influence
against it."

"Well, I for one shan't make any promises; if I need a spool of thread
and can save a walk, I shall go over there to get it," Miss Sarah
announced positively.

"You might add that your patronage is not likely of itself to save the
shop from bankruptcy," put in her nephew.

Everybody seemed to be going. Charlotte tucked her history under her
arm and ran upstairs. As she went to the window to draw the curtain a
bright light shone from the shop across the street.

"I wonder if you'll be sorry you came here?" said Charlotte to
herself.

CHAPTER SEVENTH

A SPOOL OF TWIST

The shop windows on the opening day proved most alluring to Miss
Virginia. There were two,--one overlooking the square of lawn on the
Terrace, the other, Pleasant Street. Between them, placed across the
corner, was the door.

The Terrace window was full of plants, while on the Pleasant Street
side there was a tempting display of color. Miss Virginia hunted up
her distance glasses, which she seldom used, in order the better to
view it; but she failed to make out anything in particular. Her ardor
might have suggested an archaeologist over a cuneiform inscription, as
she tried to decide whether a certain patch of blue and white was a
pillow or a table-cover.

Charlotte openly stopped to view the window on her way home from
school, and Miss Virginia, observing it, privately questioned her.

[Illustration: SECURELY ENTRENCHED BEHIND THE LACE CURTAIN SHE
LEVELLED HER GLASS]

"You ought to go over and look in, Aunt Virginia," she said. "There
are the prettiest baskets you ever saw."

Miss Virginia adored baskets.

"And there is the dearest sofa pillow."

She had decided on a pillow for Caroline's birthday.

"And, Aunt Virginia, there are the cunningest little collars with
cuffs to match," Charlotte continued with