ne could walk down town. Or if one really wanted to ride, a
street car hustled one to the stores in about five minutes. But in
Chicago, so she discovered, she had to have a ticket and go through a
gate, and up stairs and onto a platform and aboard a train and everything
just as though one intended to go away, far off. The girls both liked to
ride down town. To be sure they couldn't see much of the lake, even though
they did ride right along beside it, because the rain made it all look dim
and gray and foggy. But they knew the lake was there; they could see the
spray the waves made and once in a while they could hear the noise of
splashing water above the roar of the train. All too soon, for there was
so much to see, the train pulled into their station and the conductor
shouted, "Randolph Street! Everybody out! Far's we go!" And all the folks
aboard got their umbrellas ready and went out into the rain.

Fortunately it was only a very little way from the station to the big
store where Mrs. Merrill took the girls, so they didn't have a chance to
get tired or very wet. And as soon as they got indoors, Mrs. Merrill found
a checking place and they left wet umbrellas and wet raincoats and wet
rubbers and started out for fun.

"I think that's awfully convenient--just to leave things that way," said
Alice as she settled her collars and cuffs and made sure she was tidy,
"and of course we'll get them back safely?" This checking system was new
to her and she wanted to be assured it was all right.

"To be sure we will," said Mrs. Merrill. "See? I have the checks for
them."

"Well, then," said Mary Jane, "let's begin."

"Yes," said Alice, "let's. And let's see _everything_!"

"All right," laughed Mrs. Merrill; "shall we take an elevator first?"

"Oh, no," answered Alice, "'cause then we'd miss the first floor."

So they "did" the first floor, seeing all the handkerchiefs and jewelry
and bags and fans and pretty decorations and ribbons--Alice could hardly
leave those lovely ribbons--and neckwear--Mary Jane saw five different
neckties she needed--and so many things.

"Do they have anything left for the second floor?" asked Mary Jane when
they finally got around to where they had started.

"You just see," said Mrs. Merrill.

And sure enough there were plenty of things on the second floor, pretty
dishes and lamps and so many things that, really, Mary Jane almost got
tired looking at them all.

By the time they got ready for