elsior packing which lay in her way.

"Your wish is granted, lady," I answered.

"Are you the manager?" she asked, raising her eyebrows in unfeigned
astonishment.

"I have that honour, madam," I responded with a bow, but not daring to
look at her face in my then dishevelled state.

"I am Miss Grant," she said.

"Miss Grant! Pleased to meet you."

I shoved out a grimy paw, like the fool I was. When it was too late, I
remembered my position and brought the paw back to my side.

The young lady had already drawn herself up with an undefinable dignity.

It was a decided snub, and well merited, so I could hardly blame her.

I saw, in the hurried glimpse I got of her then, that she was hatless
and that her hair was a great crown of wavy, burnished gold, radiating
in the sunlight that streamed through the doorway despite the
obstruction of the young lady's companion.

"It is our intention to live at Golden Crescent for some time, sir. I
understand we may purchase our supplies here?"

"Yes! madam,--miss."

I backed, in order to get round to my proper side of the counter. But,
unfortunately, I backed without looking; I stumbled over an empty box
and sprawled like a clown into the corner, landing incontinently among
bundles of brooms and axe handles.

Never in all my life did I feel so insignificant or so foolish as then.
The very devil himself seemed to have set his picked imps after me; for
it was my habit, ordinarily, to be neither dirty as I was then, nor
clownish as I must have appeared.

To put it mildly, I was deeply embarrassed, and at a woman, too. Oh!
the degradation of it.

As I rose, I fancied that my ears caught the faintest tinkle of a
laugh. I turned my frowning eyes on the young lady, but she was a very
owl for inscrutable solemnity. I looked over at the elderly person in
the doorway; she was smiling upon me with a most exasperating benignity.

"What kind of business do you run here?" asked the self-possessed young
lady.

"Strictly cash, miss,--excepting the Camps and the better class of
settlers."

"I did not inquire _how_ you ran your business, but what kind of
business you ran," she retorted icily. "Of course,--we shall pay as we
purchase."

I was hastening from bad to worse. I could have bitten my tongue out
or kicked myself. With a tremendous effort, I pulled myself together
and assumed as much dignity as was possible in my badly ruffled
internal and external condition.

"A