g of the rude manner in which she had been
ejected from a store in the forenoon.

"Buy some candy?" said she to a good-natured young gentleman, who was
leaning over his counter waiting for a customer.

"How do you sell it?"

"Cent a stick; it is very nice. I sold fourteen sticks of it to the
mayor this forenoon. He said it was good."

"You don't say so? Did he give you a testimonial?"

"No; he gave me half a dollar."

The clerk laughed heartily at Katy's misapprehension of his word, and
his eye twinkled with mischief. It was plain that he was not a great
admirer of molasses candy, and that he only wanted to amuse himself at
Katy's expense.

"You know what they do with quack medicines--don't you?"

"Yes, I do; some folks are fools enough to take them," replied Katy,
smartly.

"That's a fact; but you don't understand me. Dr. Swindlehanger, round
the corner, would give the mayor a hundred dollars to say his patent
elixir is good. Now, if you could only get the mayor's name on a paper
setting forth the virtues of your candy, I dare say you could sell a
thousand sticks in a day. Why don't you ask him for such a paper?"

"I don't want any paper, except to wrap up my candy in. But you don't
want to buy any candy, I see;" and Katy moved towards some more clerks
at the other end of the store.

"Yes, I do; stop a minute. I want to buy six sticks for my children!"

"For what?"

"For my grandchildren."

"You are making fun of me," said Katy, who could see this, though the
young man was so pleasant and so funny, she could not be offended with
him. "I don't believe your mother would like it, if she should hear you
tell such a monstrous story."

The young man bit his lip. Perhaps he had a kind mother who had taught
him never to tell a lie, even in jest. He quickly recovered his humor,
however, though it was evident that Katy's rebuke had not been without
its effect.

"For how much will you sell me six sticks?" continued the clerk.

"For six cents."

"But that is the retail price; when you sell goods at wholesale you
ought not to ask so much for them."

"You shall have them for five cents then," replied Katy, struck with
the force of the suggestion.

"I can't afford to give so much as that. I am a poor man. I have to go
to the theater twice a week, and that costs me a dollar. Then a ride
Sunday afternoon costs me three dollars. So you see I don't have much
money to spend upon luxuries."

"I hope you don't g