try it and I know I can make it pay--if hard work
helps."

"All right. That's settled. But listen carefully to what I'm going
to say, Posie. I can't have this getting into the papers, you know.
To prevent that, you're to play a game while you're working in the
shop--just as princesses in fairy-tales had to play games sometimes.
You're going _in disguise_. Do you understand?"

"Yes, father, I understand."

"You're to pretend that you belong to Granny Flynn, that you're her
grandchild. You won't have to tell any lies about it. When the
children in the neighborhood hear you call her 'Granny,' they'll
simply take it for granted that you're her son's child.

"Or I can pretend I'm poor Granny's lost daughter's little girl,"
Maida suggested.

"If you wish. Billy Potter's going to stay here in Boston and help
you. You're to call on him, Posie, if you get into any snarl. But I
hope you'll try to settle all your own difficulties before turning
to anybody else. Do you understand?"

"Yes, father. Father, dear, I'm so happy. Does Granny know?"

"Yes."

Maida heaved an ecstatic sigh. "I'm afraid I shan't get to sleep
to-night--just thinking of it."

But she did sleep and very hard--the best sleep she had known since
her operation. And she dreamed that she opened a shop--a big shop
this was--on the top of a huge white cloud. She dreamed that her
customers were all little boy and girl angels with floating, golden
curls and shining rainbow-colored wings. She dreamed that she sold
nothing but cake. She used to cut generous slices from an angel-cake
as big as the golden dome of the Boston state house. It was very
delicious--all honey and jelly and ice cream on the inside, and all
frosting, stuck with candies and nuts and fruits, on the outside.

----------------------

The people on Warrington Street were surprised to learn in the
course of a few days that old Mrs. Murdock had sold out her business
in the little corner store. For over a week, the little place was
shut up. The school children, pouring into the street twice a day,
had to go to Main Street for their candy and lead pencils. For a
long time all the curtains were kept down. Something was going on
inside, but what, could not be guessed from the outside. Wagons
deposited all kinds of things at the door, rolls of paper, tins of
paint, furniture, big wooden boxes whose contents nobody could
guess. Every day brought more and more workmen and t