," Mrs. Salisbury said loftily, "and I prefer him to any other
grocer. If he is too far away, the order may be telephoned. Or give me
your list, and I will stop in, as I used to do. Then I can order any
little extra delicacy that I see, something I might not otherwise think
of. Let me know what you need to-morrow morning, and I'll see to it."

To her surprise, Justine did not bow an instant assent. Instead the
girl looked a little troubled.

"Shall I give you my accounts and my ledger?" she asked rather
uncertainly.

"No-o, I don't see any necessity for that," the older woman said, after
a second's pause.

"But Lewis & Sons is a very expensive place," Justine pursued; "they
never have sales, never special prices. Their cheapest tomatoes are
fifteen cents a can, and their peaches twenty-five--"

"Never mind," Mrs. Salisbury interrupted her briskly. "We'll manage
somehow. I always did trade there, and never had any trouble. Begin
with him to-morrow. And, while, of course, I understand that I was ill
and couldn't be bothered in this case, I want to ask you not to make
any more changes without consulting me, if you please."

Justine, still standing, her troubled eyes on her employer, the last
glass, polished to diamond brightness, in her hand, frowned mutinously.

"You understand that if you do any ordering whatever, Mrs. Salisbury, I
will have to give up my budget. You see, in that case, I wouldn't know
where I stood at all."

"You would get the bill at the end of the month," Mrs. Salisbury said,
displeased.

"Yes, but I don't run bills," the girl persisted.

"I don't care to discuss it, Justine," the mistress said pleasantly;
"just do as I ask you, if you please, and we'll settle everything at
the end of the month. You shall not be held responsible, I assure you."

She went out of the kitchen, and the next morning had a pleasant half
hour in the big grocery, and left a large order.

"Just a little kitchen misunderstanding," she told the affable Mr.
Lewis, "but when one is ill--However, I am rapidly getting the reins
back into my own hands now."

After that, Mrs. Salisbury ordered in person, or by telephone, every
day, and Justine's responsibilities were confined to the meat market
and greengrocer. Everything went along very smoothly until the end of
the month, when Justine submitted her usual weekly account and a bill
from Lewis & Sons which was some three times larger in amount than was
the margin of mone