Part 23 (1/2)

So she wandered out and went toward the glittering buckles in the shoeshop window. And there she hesitated again. Fifty cents! A quarter of her entire monthly allowance. She wanted to find Eva Larry, who would be down town, too, and treat her to a sundae. Besides, she must buy Myra Stetson some little remembrance.

”I know what I'll do!” thought Agnes finally, her eye suddenly lighting upon a candy store across Main Street. ”I can break one of these bills by getting Aunt Sarah's peppermints. Then it won't seem so hard to spend the change.”

Agnes tripped over the crosswalk and purchased the little bag of peppermints. These she popped into her own handbag, and a little later came across Eva. They went into the drug store on the corner and had a sundae apiece. Agnes bought some hairpins (which she certainly could not use) and a comb, and some lovely ribbon, and a cunning little red strawberry emery-bag for her sewing-box, and several other trifles.

She found all her change gone and nothing but the dollar bill left in her purse. That scared Agnes, and she ran home, refusing to break the remaining bill, and much troubled that she should have been so reckless in her expenditures the very first time she was out.

Tess and Dot had gone together. There was no reason why two girls, of eight and ten respectively, should not shop on Milton's Main Street.

The younger Kenway girls had often shopped for Ruth, while they lived in Bloomingsburg.

The Five and Ten Cent Store attracted them. There was a toy department, and all kinds of cheap fancy goods, and little things for presents. Tess roamed among these, using her eyes to good advantage, save that she forgot to look for Dot, after a time.

There was a very cute little spool holder for ten cents, and Tess bought that for Mrs. McCall. Uncle Rufus she remembered in the purchase of a red and black tie for ”state and date” occasions. She bought a pretty ruching for Ruth's collar, and a new thimble for Agnes, because Agnes was always losing her silver one.

For Dot, Tess bought a tiny doll's tea-set, and forgetting herself entirely, Tess wandered out of the store with her bundles, looking for her sister. She did not at once see Dot, but a boy was selling cheap candies from a basket, and Tess was smitten with the thought that she had forgotten Aunt Sarah!

She bought a bag of white peppermint drops in a hurry. That took all of Tess' half dollar, and she did not want to break into the bill; so she went home without satisfying any of her own personal longings.

Dot had found the candy counter in the big store the first thing.

There were heaps, and heaps of goodies. Dot possessed a sweet tooth, and she had never really had enough candy at one time in her life-not even at Christmas.

Some of this candy was ten cents a pound, and some ten cents a quarter of a pound. Dot knew that if she bought the more expensive kind, her dollar bill would not go far. And she really did not want to spend all her month's money just for candy. Ruth would think her extravagant and Agnes would laugh at her.

The little girl moved along in front of the counter, feasting her eyes upon the variegated sweets. There were chocolates, and bonbons, and nut candies, and ”kisses,” and many candies of which Dot did not know even the names. Finally she came to the end, where the cheaper kinds were displayed.

Dot's eyes grew round and she uttered a half-stifled ”Oh!” There was a great heap of luscious looking, fat peppermint drops. They looked to be so creamy and soft, that Dot was _sure_ they were far superior to any drops that Aunt Sarah had ever had in the past.

”Here, little girl,” said the lady behind the counter, seeing Dot feasting her eyes upon the heap of peppermints. ”Here's a broken one,”

and she reached over the screen and pa.s.sed Dot the crumbly bit of candy.

Dot thanked her nicely and popped the broken peppermint drop into her mouth. It was every bit as nice as it looked. It was crumbly, and creamy, and sweet, with just the right amount of peppermint essence in it.

”I'll buy Aunt Sarah's peppermints my own self,” decided Dot. Then she hesitated, being an honest little thing. She knew that she could not resist the temptation of those luscious drops, once they were in her hands.

”I'll take _two_ quarter pounds, if you please, Ma'am,” she said to the saleslady. ”In two bags. One's for my Aunt Sarah and the other's for Tess and me.”

Having broken her dollar bill for these two bags of sweets, Dot felt rather frightened, and she, too, hurried out of the store.

The four Corner House girls arrived home at about the same time-and not long before the usual dinner hour. Dot and Tess had tasted out of the special bag of peppermint drops that Dot had bought, in the yard.

Tess had so many other things to show her smaller sister that neither suspected the other's possession of Aunt Sarah's peppermints.

Dot ran up to Aunt Sarah's room as soon as she got inside the door. ”I got your pep'mint drops, Auntie!” she cried, plumping the bag into the old lady's lap.

”Humph! Good child,” declared Aunt Sarah, and opened the bag invitingly. ”Have one?”

”No-o, Ma'am,” said Dot, backing away. ”I've been eating some out of _my_ bag,” and she showed Aunt Sarah her other purchase. ”Ruth says it spoils your appet.i.te to eat too much candy before dinner.”

”Humph!” remarked Aunt Sarah.