fted, where it lay, a stripe of gold
upon his little freckled nose.

"I'm glad you've come, Johnny," said Prue. "Let's play school."

"All right," agreed Johnny, "I'll be the teacher."

"And I'll play I'm Randy, and Tabby can be me,--you 'member to call her
Prue when you speak to her,--and Johnny, this rag doll will be you," said
Prue.

"That old doll's a girl," objected Johnny. "I won't let no girl doll be
me."

But Prue argued that it would be enough better to be represented by the
despised rag doll, than not to be in the school at all, so half convinced,
the game began and the two children were so occupied when Randy started
for her walk to the Centre, that her little sister quite forgot to coax to
be allowed to "go too."

As she trudged along the sunny, dusty road, Randy hummed a merry little
tune, her footsteps keeping time to its rhythm and her heart beating
faster as she thought of her delightful errand.

Arrived at the store she asked Mr. Barnes to show her the piece of cloth
from which her father had bought on the night that he had driven to the
Centre.

"Joel!" called Silas Barnes, "show Randy Weston that second piece of cloth
from the top, will ye? I've got ter finish opening this barrel o' sugar."

Joel placed the cloth upon the counter, saying,

"Is that the piece ye mean?"

"Yes, that is it," said Randy.

"Didn't yer pa git 'nough?" questioned Joel.

"Oh yes," said Randy, "but I want this for something else. I'll take eight
yards."

"Why that's 'nough for a whole gaown," said Joel, but a shade of annoyance
passed over Randy's sweet face and as she showed no disposition to
explain, the clerk cut off the number of yards with the injured air of one
whose kindly interest had been unappreciated.

When the cloth had been made into a neat parcel, Joel looked up and
extended his hand for payment, when to his utter astonishment, Randy
informed him that she had yet another errand.

"I'll look at some shoes now," she said with quite an air, for this was
her first shopping trip and a very happy one.

"Fer yourself, Randy?" asked Joel.

"I wish them to be _my size_, so I'll try them on," was the answer.

"Well ef they're ter be your size, they're to be yourn, ain't they?"
queried Joel, determined if possible to know all about this wild
extravagance.

Randy had changed her gold piece for a bill before she left home, well
knowing that the bill would attract less attention.

Assuming not to hav