ed. It certainly was
queer.

"Can we just take _anything_?" exclaimed Mary Jane in amazement as her
mother explained what they were to do.

"Well," laughed Mrs. Merrill, "you must remember we have to pay for things
just the same as we used to at Mr. Shover's. But we can take anything we
want--if we pay for it."

"Then I'll pick you out some good things to eat, mother!" cried Mary Jane
happily, "don't you worry about thinking what we're going to have!"

Now Mary Jane really did know how to read, at least a little, but she
didn't stop to read on this important occasion. She looked at the pictures
on the cans of goodies and she picked out a can of all her favorites and
set them in the basket Mrs. Merrill carried on her arm. But that didn't
work, for Mrs. Merrill had a long list and the basket wouldn't hold only
so much. So they decided to let Mrs. Merrill pick out three things from
her list and then Mary Jane could buy one favorite; then three more things
from the list and then another favorite. That proved to be great fun and
it certainly did fill the basket in a hurry! Mary Jane was just trying to
decide between a box of marshmallows and a pan of nice, gooey, sugary
sweet rolls when Mrs. Merrill said, "whichever you decide, Mary Jane,
you'll have to carry the bundle yourself, because this basket won't hold
another parcel--not even a little one."

Mary Jane decided on the rolls and she took them over to the counter to
have them wrapped up and there she almost bumped into--Betty Holden, no
less! Betty and her mother were shopping too, and their basket was almost
as full as Mrs. Merrill's.

"We market after school," said Mrs. Holden, "and then Ed brings his wagon
to meet us and hauls the stuff home. We'll get him to give you a lift
too."

"And then can Mary Jane come over to our house to play?" asked Betty.

"For a little while," agreed Mrs. Merrill, smilingly, "but she won't want
to stay very long to-day because we're going to have our first dinner in
our new home and she's promised to help me lots--and I need it."

Just then they spied Ed's face at the door so they hurried through the
second turnstile, paid for their groceries and left the store. Ed's wagon
proved to be very big and he was glad to give them plenty of room for the
Merrill basket.

"Are you going to start in school to-morrow?" asked Betty as they walked
off toward home.

"I'm going over to see about that to-morrow morning," said Mrs. Merrill.