itated a moment to peer
into the gloomy place--more a mausoleum than a store!--and saw Hopewell
leaning against the counter, while Lottie, in her pink sash and white
dress, and the kid boots, sat upon it and leaned against her father
while he scraped out some weird minor chords upon the fiddle.

Marty had come down the lane to the corner of High Street to meet
Janice. Of course, he wouldn't admit that he had done so; but he
happened to be right there when his cousin put in an appearance. There
were no street lights on Hillside Avenue, and Janice was glad of his
company.

"Huh! ain't yer gittin' pop'lar?" croaked the boy, grinning at her. "An'
goin' ter 'Rill Scattergood's ter supper. Ye must ha' had a fine time--I
don't think!"

"Of course I had a nice time," laughed Janice.

"With that old maid," scoffed Marty.

"Say, Marty, would you go to school again if they had a different
teacher?" queried Janice.

"'Course I would!" returned the boy, stoutly.

"Maybe next Fall they'll have another one. Miss Scattergood talks of
giving up teaching."

"I should think she would!" exploded Marty. "But she won't. You'll see.
She'll be teachin' Poketown school when she has ter go on crutches."

The next day, after Janice had inveigled Marty into spending most of his
forenoon in the yard and garden (and the latter was beginning to look
quite like a real garden by now), the girl went shopping. Most of the
stores were "general" stores, and she did not believe there was much
choice between them. Only she had an interest in Hopewell Drugg; so she
proceeded to his dark little shop.

Lottie sat upon a box nursing a rag doll, in the sunlight that came in
at the side door. She was crooning to herself a weird little song, and
rocking back and forth upon the box. Mr. Drugg seemed to be out.

Janice walked the length of the store very quietly, and the child did
not apprehend her approach. But when she stepped upon one of the boards
of the back-room floor, little Lottie felt the vibration and looked up,
directly at Janice, with her pretty, sightless eyes.

"Papa Drugg be right back; Papa Drugg be right back," she said, forming
the phrase with evident difficulty.

Janice went close to her and laid a hand upon Lottie's shoulder. The
little girl caught at it quickly, ran her slim fingers up her arm to her
shoulder and so, jumping up from the box, felt of Janice's face, too.
The latter stooped and kissed her.

"I know you--I know you,