e trade here? I need money--God knows!--for little Lottie. If I
could get her to Boston----

"Good gracious, Miss! what you been doing here?" he suddenly gasped.

"Isn't that some better?" demanded Janice, chuckling. "Astonished,
aren't you, Mr. Drugg? Don't you believe if both windows were like that,
and the whole store cleaned up, folks would sit up and take notice?"

"I--I believe you," admitted the shopkeeper, still staring.

"And wouldn't it pay?"

"I--I don't know. It might."

"Isn't it worth trying?" demanded Janice, cheerily. "Now, please, I want
you to do as I say--and you must let me have my own way to-day here.
I've brought my lunch, and it's too late to go to school now, even if it
_does_ stop raining. You'll let me, won't you?"

"I--I--I don't know just what you want me to do--or what _you_ want to
do," stammered Hopewell Drugg, still staring at the transformed window.

"I want you to turn in and help me put your whole store to rights," she
declared. "You don't understand, Mr. Drugg. I believe you can attract
trade here if you will have things nice, and bright, and tidy. You carry
a good stock of wares; and you are not any more behind the times than
other Poketown merchants. Why not be _ahead of them all_?"

"Me?" breathed Drugg, in increasing wonder.

"And why not _you_? You've got as good a chance as any. Just get to work
and _make_ trade. Think of little Lottie. If your business can be
increased and you can make money, think of what you can do for her!"

Drugg suddenly straightened his stooped shoulders and held up his head.
"Just you show me what you want me to do," he said, with unexpected
fire.

"Grand!" cried the excited Janice. "I can set you to work in a minute.
First thing of all, you fix your screen doors; let's keep the fly family
out of the store--and we'll kill those already in here. You commence on
the screens, Mr. Drugg, while I tackle that other window."

About the time school was usually out, Janice removed her apron and the
other marks of her toil, and put on her hat and coat. As she said, they
had made a good beginning. Better still, Hopewell Drugg seemed quite
inspired.

"You have done me a world of good, Miss Janice," he declared. "And
already the shop looks a hundred per cent better."

"I should hope so," said Janice, vigorously. "And you keep right on with
the good work, Mr. Drugg. I'll come in and dress your windows every
week. And when you've torn those shelves awa