doesn't it?"

"Maybe so," laughed the woman, enjoying the enthusiasm of the girls.
The years seemed to slip away when Shirley brought her friends near.

A large bay window covered almost all the front of the store.

"That's a good show window you have there," observed Colonel Baxter.
"Already I can see Shirley's photographs on display?"

"And those blue and gold drapes in the attic will just be fine for a
back curtain," suggested Bet.

"That is, if they are not dropping apart from age," replied the Colonel.

"They'll probably do us for a while until we make our fortune."

"_Our_ fortune! Since when do you own the shop, Bet Baxter?" teased
Joy. "Is this Shirley _and company_?"

"Of course not. It's Shirley's. But we're all going to help her to
get started," promised Bet.

"What is Shirley's good luck is ours. We're all Merriweather Girls,"
said Kit quietly.

Shirley was in a happy daze and hardly heard her mother's plans. "You
can bring down that large blue rug in your room, Shirley, and I'll put
something else in there."

"That's just the thing, it has lots of orange in it," exclaimed Bet.

"And as a name for the shop, I'll suggest 'Fixit's Factory,'" teased
Colonel Baxter.

"Oh no! That wouldn't sound nice. I don't like factories." Shirley
looked troubled.

"Of course it wouldn't and Daddy knows it, too. He's just a big tease!"

Shirley laughed now with the others. She was inclined to be serious
and never quite knew when the Colonel was in fun.

"'Shirley's Shop' sounds much nicer. It's aristocratic!"

Suddenly Kit saw two boys coming down the street and she had the door
open in a flash: "Come right in, Bob and Phil. The Merriweather Girls
are in council and having decided some very important matters, they
want your approval."

"Flattery, you mean! You girls just feed on flattery, and you expect
us to supply it like boxes of candy."

"Candy makes me think that we might have homemade candy here. Joy
could do that and Kit and I will paint some boxes for it! That's the
first idea supplied by the Consulting Advisers, Bob and Phil!"

"And where does the boss come in, and what is left for her to do?"
laughed Shirley.

"Oh you are to supply the art. We will do the things that appeal to
the common people."

"Say, Colonel, what's the matter with these girls? Are they crazy?"

"Not any more than usual I think."

"Why Daddy Baxter, if you talk like that you just won't be allowed to