d it as perfectly as if woven especially to be worn
with it to hold the Locket.

Jessie's face broke into welcoming smiles. Most of the other clerks
smiled also. Arethusa's honest joy in her purchases was truly
refreshing after Mrs. Bixby.

"Isn't that a perfectly beautiful match?" Arethusa asked of them all
impartially, with enthusiasm. "And yet Aunt 'Liza always says I have no
sort of taste! Can't you just see darling Aunt 'Senath in all her white
clothes with this lovely rose color next to her?"

It was not at all hard for Jessie to imagine the picture after the
vivid description she had received of Miss Asenath. "I'll bet she'll
look just lovely," she declared warmly, "and it certainly is a splendid
match! No one could have matched it better!"

The other girls made a smiling affirmation to this verdict.

Mrs. Bixby turned around from her own conversation at the sudden sound
of these animated voices so close to her and lifted her gold lorgnette
to examine Arethusa.

"This girl was waiting on me, I believe," she said, indicating Jessie
with a wave of her aristocratic hand, and speaking in a pleasantly acid
tone that was intended to consign Arethusa to nothingness forever.

But Arethusa gave no smallest sign of doing so.

"She was waiting on me, long before you ever saw her!"

That lorgnette could but irritate Arethusa.

Mrs. Bixby glanced up and down, and then through her.

"Indeed! I think you're mistaken!" Then to Jessie. "I wasn't through,
girl."

"But you said...." began poor Jessie.

She was torn between her desire to serve Arethusa, whom, girl-like, she
had voted a darling, and her great fear of offending one so powerful as
Mrs. Bixby. The floor-walker suddenly turned his attention in their
direction, which added to her agitation. But she need not have worried
quite so much; her first customer made a sturdy champion of any cause,
and she was still most undaunted, lorgnette or no lorgnette.

"There's a whole stack of girls here," declared Arethusa hotly, "and
just because you can't help being disagreeable, you want the same one I
have! Jessie sold me this shawl before you ever came, and she let me
take it over to match it in ribbon!"

Mrs. Bixby displayed an interest. She raised the lorgnette once more.

"Indeed! And had you paid for it?"

"It's none of your business whether I had or not! It's not your store,
is it? But I hadn't, so there, if you really want to know!"

"I shall report you im