ll with white and green ribbons
flying around her, en route to trim the bay-window where the bridal
couple were to stand to receive the guests. "Oh, Eddy, dear," she
cried, "I can't stop now; indeed I can't. I don't know who was
invited and who not."

"But, Charlotte," Eddy persisted, "I want to know particularly.
Please tell me, honey."

Then Charlotte stopped and looked back over her great snarl of white
and green ribbon. "Who did you say, dear?" she asked. "Hurry! I can't
stop."

"Mr. Anderson," repeated Eddy. "Mr. Anderson and his mother."

"Mr. Anderson and his mother?" repeated Charlotte, vaguely, and just
then Anna Carroll came with a little table which was to support a
bowl of roses in the bay-window.

"Mr. Anderson," said Eddy again.

"I don't know who you mean, Eddy, dear," said Charlotte.

"Why, yes, you do, Charlotte, Mr. Anderson and his mother."

"What is it?" asked Anna Carroll. "Eddy, you must not stop us for
anything. We are too busy."

"You might just tell me if they are asked to the wedding," said Eddy,
in an aggrieved tone. "That won't take a minute. Mr. Anderson. He
keeps store."

"Gracious!" cried Anna Carroll. "The child means the grocer! No,
dear, he isn't asked."

"Why, I never thought!" said Charlotte. "No, dear, he isn't asked."

"Why not?" asked Eddy.

"We couldn't ask everybody, honey," replied Anna. "Now you must not
hinder us another minute."

But Eddy danced persistently before them, barring their progress.

"He isn't everybody," he said. "He's the nicest man in this town. Why
didn't you ask him? Didn't you think he was nice enough, I'd like to
know?"

"Of course he is nice, dear," said Charlotte; "very nice." She
flushed a little.

"Why didn't you ask him, then?" demanded Eddy. "I call it mean."

Anna took Eddy by his small shoulders and set him aside.

"Eddy," she said, sternly, "not another word. We could not ask the
grocer to your sister's wedding. Now, don't say another word about
it. Your sister and I are too busy to bother with you."

"I don't see why you won't ask him because he's a grocer," Eddy
called, indignantly, after her. "He's the nicest man here, and he
always lets us have things, whether we pay him or not. I have heard
you say so. I think you are awful mean to take his groceries, and eat
'em, and use them for Ina's wedding, and then not ask him, just
because he is a grocer."

Anna's laughter floated back, and the boy wondered angrily what she