t of chocolate creams following her as she came. She then
turned to see if she could help Carrie. Carrie was trying to eat her way
toward the window, and stretched out her arms to her mother, who seized
her, and with all her strength pulled her through the window.

"They are bully!" exclaimed Carrie, as soon as she was free. "They are
the freshest I ever ate. Golumptious!"

"Oh, Carrie," said her mother, mournfully, "how can you use such
expressions now, when you have wasted your opportunity in such an
extravagant wish?"

"What! A whole roomful of chocolate creams do you consider a waste?"
exclaimed Carrie. "Why, we shall be envied of all our neighbors; and,
Mamma, you have been sighing over our expenses, and wishing that Jimmy
and I could support you. Do not you see that we can make our fortune
with chocolate creams? First, let us eat all we want before telling
anybody; then let us give some to choice friends, and we will sell the
rest."

All the time she was talking Carrie was putting in her hand for
chocolate creams and cramming one after another. Mrs. Fraser, too, did
not refuse to taste them. How could they ever get into the parlor again,
unless they were eaten up?

"I am sure we can make quite a fortune," Carrie went on. "As soon as
Jimmy comes home we can calculate how much it will be. The last time I
was in Boston I gave fifteen cents for a quarter of a pound, and there
were just thirteen chocolate creams. Now, see. In my two hands I can
hold fourteen; now, how many times that do you suppose there are in the
room?"

Mrs. Fraser could not think. Carrie was triumphant.

"Jimmy will know how to calculate, for he knows how many feet and inches
there are in the room. If not, he can measure by the piazza; and we can
row the chocolate creams out, and see how many go to a foot, and then we
can easily find out. Of course, we shall sell them cheaper than they do
in Boston, and so there will be a rush for them. It will be bully!"

"I am glad we happened to take this rocking-chair out on the piazza this
morning," said Mrs. Fraser, languidly seating herself. "I don't see how
we shall ever get into the parlor again."

"Jimmy and I will eat our way in fast enough," said Carrie, laughing;
and Jimmy at that moment appeared with two boy friends, whom he had
brought home to dinner.

They were all delighted when they understood the situation, and had soon
eaten a little place by the window, inside the room.

"I quite