stylishly, the
sleek horses pranced, seeming scarcely to touch the road with their
dainty hoofs.

"Those are fine horses," said Randolph.

"Yes," assented his mother. "They must be very wealthy people, I
suppose."

"It looks so," replied Randolph.

His mother, still staring out of the window, started. "Why," she
said, "the coachman is turning around!"

"Perhaps he has forgotten something at the station," said Randolph.

"Why, it is stopping here!" cried Mrs. Anderson, wonderingly. The
carriage indeed stopped just before the Anderson gate, and remained
there perfectly still. The coachman gazed intently at the house, but
made no motion to get down. At a window was seen a gentleman's face;
past him the fresh face of a girl, also gazing. Randolph looked out,
and the gentleman in the carriage made an imperious beckoning motion.

"Why, he is beckoning you!" said Mrs. Anderson, amazedly and
indignantly.

Anderson moved towards the door.

"You are not going out when you are beckoned to in that way?" cried
his mother.

Anderson laughed. "You forget, mother," he said, "that a grocer is at
the beck and call of his patrons."

"I am ashamed of you!" she said, hotly, her fair old face flushing,
"to have no more pride--"

Anderson laughed again. "I am too proud to have pride," he said, and
went out of the room. He went leisurely down the steps, and crossed
the little brick walk to the gate, and then approached the carriage.
The gentleman inside, with what seemed an unpremeditated movement,
raised his hat. Randolph bowed. Carroll smiled in the gentle,
admiring way which he had.

"Perhaps I have made a mistake," he said, "but I was directed here. I
was told that Anderson, who keeps the grocery, lives here."

"I am Anderson," replied Randolph, with dignity and a certain high
scorn, and purposely leaving off the Mr. from his name.

Arthur Carroll no longer smiled, but his voice had a certain
urbanity, although it rang imperiously. "Now, see here," he said. "I
want to know why you did not do as I left instructions at your shop?"

"To what do you refer?" inquired Anderson, quietly.

"I want to know why you did not send in your bill last Saturday
night, as I ordered." Carroll's voice was so loud that Mrs. Anderson,
in the house, heard him distinctly through the open windows.

"I did not know that you had so ordered," replied Anderson, still
quietly, with a slight emphasis on the ordered. He looked slightly
amused.