ill it.

Of course Madge could not take a tin house with chimneys in her pocket
to Churchbury on a shopping expedition, and she signally failed in an
attempt to squeeze the money into her purse. Betty and John offered
theirs in addition; but at this point she was met by a fresh
difficulty, no pocket will hold three purses unnaturally distended with
pennies.

"I really do think I had better only take my share and leave you two
your own money to spend another day," Madge had observed rather
dolefully, for she had been looking forward with some pride to the
unusually substantial purchases that the possession of their united
fortunes would enable her to make.

But John and Betty would not hear of this suggestion for a moment.
They were longing to spend their saved-up hoards of money, and as there
was no immediate prospect of their going to Churchbury themselves, they
had been counting on Madge returning in the evening laden with
interesting purchases.

There was a short period of dismayed silence. Then Betty suddenly
broke out: "I know a way! Wait just a second!"

She rushed excitedly off, and returned waving a neat bag of shiny brown
calico.

"Why, that's what Nurse made for you to pack your best shoes in when
you went away on visits!" exclaimed Madge.

"Yes, it was made out of a bit of lining that was left over from Mama's
last winter dress, and it has got a wreathing-string and everything,"
replied Betty proudly. "It really seems as if Nurse had made it on
purpose for a money-bag."

To make a long story short, the brown calico bag appeared so exactly
suited to hold the sum of five shillings and sevenpence (mostly in
pennies), that it would have been a stupid neglect of opportunities not
to use it. Madge quickly emptied the contents of the tin house into
their new resting-place, and then started for Churchbury with the
comfortable feeling of having practically boundless wealth at her
disposal.

Now it happened that Miss Thompson had several errands of a peculiarly
uninteresting nature to do in the town, as Mrs. West had asked her to
buy a number of things for the household. Generally the children
enjoyed being inside any sort of shop, but after watching Miss Thompson
carefully select dusters and pantry-clothes, cotton, tape, and buttons,
for what appeared an interminable time, Madge sighed deeply.

"If you are tired of sitting still you may go outside and look at the
shop windows," said Miss Thompson.