nt of the business. A worthy man, who owned a little farm in
the country, tempted her with an offer of marriage, and her conscience
(I suppose) would not let her refuse it. Katy, though she was a woman,
so far as the duties and responsibilities of life were concerned, was
still a child in her feelings and affections, and cried bitterly when
they parted. The good woman was scarcely less affected, and made Katy
and her mother promise an early visit to her farm.

Katy's sorrow at parting with her beloved friend was not the only, nor
perhaps, the most important, result of Mrs. Colvin's departure, for
they were deprived of the assistance of the chief candy-puller. Katy
tried to secure another woman for this labor, but could not find a
person who would serve her in this capacity. After a vain search, Mrs.
Redburn thought she was able to do the work herself, for her health
seemed to be pretty well established. Perhaps, she reasoned, it was
quite as well that Mrs. Colvin had gone, for if she could pull the
candy herself, it would save from two to three dollars a week.

Katy would not consent that she should do it alone, but agreed to
divide the labor between them. The quantity manufactured every day was
so great that the toil of making it fell heavily upon them; but as Mrs.
Redburn did not complain, Katy was too proud to do so though her wrists
and shoulders pained her severely every night after the work was done.

This toil weighed heavily on Katy's rather feeble constitution; but all
her mother could say would not induce her to abandon the work. For a
month they got along tolerably well, and, perhaps, no evil consequences
would have followed this hard labor, if everything else had gone well
with Katy. The girls who sold the candy had for some time caused her
considerable trouble and anxiety. Very often they lost their money, or
pretended to do so, and three or four of them had resorted to Ann
Grippen's plan of playing "trick upon travelers." She had to discharge
a great many, and to accept the services of those whom she did not
know, and who, by various means, contrived to cheat her out of the
money received from the sales of the candy. These things annoyed her
very much, and she cast about her for a remedy.

One day, three girls, each of whom had been supplied with half a
dollar's worth of candy, did not appear to account for the proceeds.
Here was a loss of a dollar in one day. Such things as these are the
common trials