the third floor, Mary Jane was wondering if
there were any seats in that store. Not seats where you sit down to buy
things, but really seats where you just sit down whether you buy anything
or not. And sure enough there were just those seats. Nice, big comfy ones,
that appeared to be made for Mary Janes who went a-shopping and wanted to
sit down. The Merrills sat down on a big couch and Mary Jane leaned back
ready to rest when--who should she see right in front of her but Frances
Westland! The girl she met at grandmother's house nearly a year ago.

In a jiffy Mary Jane forgot all about wanting to sit down. She slid down
from the comfortable couch, dashed after Frances, who, not guessing that a
friend was so near, was hurrying by, and brought her back to meet mother
and Alice.

Then they all sat down for a visit.

"No, I'm not living here," said Frances in answer to Mrs. Merrill's
question, "I've been spending the spring with my auntie and going to
school here. But just as soon as school is out I'm going back home. Mother
needs me."

"I don't doubt it," replied Mrs. Merrill, who was much pleased with the
little girl, "I'm sure your mother misses you greatly. But where are you
living and can't we see you before you go and can't you take lunch with us
to-day?"

It seemed that Frances's auntie lived in the same part of the city the
Merrills lived in and there was every reason to believe that the girls
might see each other at least once or twice in the little time left of the
school year.

"But I don't believe I can eat lunch with you," added Frances, "'cause
auntie and I have to hurry home." So with a promise to come to see them
soon at the address Mrs. Merrill wrote out on her card for Frances, the
friends said good-by.

"I'll declare!" exclaimed Mrs. Merrill, looking at her watch after Frances
left them. "It's almost twelve o'clock already! And we were to meet father
at one. If you girls want to see anything of the toys and dolls and
playrooms, we'd better not be sitting around here any longer."

Of course the girls did want to see the toys and dolls and everything.
When they got to the fourth floor where all the children's things were
kept, they were sorry they had spent even a minute any place else. For all
the lovely dolls and marvelous toys and enticing games and beautiful
pictures and fascinating puzzles made a person think that Santa Claus's
shop and fairyland and magic were all mixed up together and set do