so late," said Mrs. Leggett.

'Rill smiled and waited.

"Twenty-two's the best you kin do?" queried the lanky woman querulously.

"That is the market price."

"Wal! lemme see some cheap gingham. It don't matter abeout the
pattern. It's only for Emmy here, and it don't matter what 'tis that
covers her bones' long's it does cover 'em. Will this fade?"

"I don't think so," Mrs. Drugg said, opening the bolt of goods so that
the customer could get at it better.

Janice watched, much amused. The woman pulled at the piece one way,
and then another, wetting it meantime and rubbing it with her fingers
to ascertain if the colors were fast. She was apparently unable to
satisfy herself regarding it.

Finally she produced a small pair of scissors and snipped off a tiny
piece and handed it to Emmy. "Here, Emmy," she said, "you spit aout
that there gum an' chew on this here awhile ter see if it fades any."

Janice dodged behind the post to hide the expression of amusement that
she could not control. She wondered how 'Rill could remain so placid
and unruffled.

Emmy took the piece of goods, clapped it into her mouth with the most
serious expression imaginable, and went to work. Her mother said:

"Ye might's well count the eggs, Miz' Drugg. I make 'em eight dozen
and ten. I waited late for the rest of the critters ter lay; but they
done fooled me ter-day--for a fac'!"

Emmy having chewed on the gingham to her mother's complete
satisfaction, Mrs. Leggett finished making her purchases and they
departed. Then 'Rill and her guest could talk again. Naturally the
conversation almost at the beginning turned upon Nelson Haley's trouble.

"It is terrible!" 'Rill said. "Mr. Moore and those others never could
have thought what they were doing when they accused Mr. Haley of
stealing."

"They were afraid that they would have to make good for the coins, and
felt that they must blame somebody," Janice replied with a sigh.

"Of course, Hopewell went right over to tell the schoolmaster what he
thought about it as soon as the story reached us. Hopewell thinks
highly of the young man, you know."

"Until this thing happened, I thought almost everybody thought highly
of him," said Janice, with a sob.

"Oh, my dear!" cried 'Rill, tearful herself, "there is such gossip in
Polktown. So many people are ready to make ill-natured and untruthful
remarks about one----"

Janice knew to what secret trouble the storekeeper's wife r