"You are a regular customer, I suppose," said Mr. Tolman, opening
several boxes of paper which he had taken down from the shelves. "I
have just begun business here, and don't know what kind of paper you
have been in the habit of buying. But I suppose this will do." And he
took out a couple of sheets of the best, with an envelope to match.
These he carefully tied up in a piece of thin brown paper, and gave to
the boy, who handed him three cents. Mr. Tolman took them, smiled, and
then, having made a rapid calculation, he called to the boy, who was
just opening the door, and gave him back one cent.

"You have paid me too much," he said.

The boy took the cent, looked at Mr. Tolman, and then got out of the
store as quickly as he could.

"Such profits as that are enormous," said Mr. Tolman, "but I suppose
the small sales balance them." This Mr. Tolman subsequently found to
be the case.

One or two other customers came in in the course of the afternoon, and
about dark the people who took out books began to arrive. These kept
Mr. Tolman very busy. He not only had to do a good deal of entering
and cancelling, but he had to answer a great many questions about the
change in proprietorship, and the probability of his getting in some
new books, with suggestions as to the quantity and character of these,
mingled with a few dissatisfied remarks in regard to the volumes
already on hand.

Every one seemed sorry that the old lady had gone away. But Mr. Tolman
was so pleasant and anxious to please, and took such an interest in
their selection of books, that only one of the subscribers appeared to
take the change very much to heart. This was a young man who was
forty-three cents in arrears. He was a long time selecting a book, and
when at last he brought it to Mr. Tolman to be entered, he told him in
a low voice that he hoped there would be no objection to letting his
account run on for a little while longer. On the first of the month he
would settle it, and then he hoped to be able to pay cash whenever he
brought in a book.

Mr. Tolman looked for his name on the old lady's list, and, finding no
cross against it, told him that it was all right, and that the first of
the month would do very well. The young man went away perfectly
satisfied with the new librarian. Thus did Mr. Tolman begin to build
up his popularity. As the evening grew on he found himself becoming
very hungry. But he did not like to shut up the shop