Mrs. Golden sent
him to Sue's house.

He rather frightened Mrs. Brown at first, for Bobbie twisted the message
and said Sue had fallen into a barrel of molasses, instead of just into
a puddle on the floor, so that Mrs. Brown came hurrying to the store,
imagining all sorts of things had happened.

She had to laugh when she heard the real story, and then she went back
to get a clean dress for Sue, leaving the other to be washed and dried
by Mrs. Golden.

"I'm afraid the children are more of a bother to you than a help," said
Mrs. Brown, as she started home with Sue.

"Oh, bless their hearts, I don't know what I'd do without them!" said
the storekeeper. "They are a great help. My store business is much
better than before they began coming here. That special oatmeal sale
brought me new customers, and Bunny and Sue are a great help."

As it would be rather hard work for Mrs. Golden to clean up the sticky
puddle, Mrs. Brown sent Bunker Blue up from the boat dock to help. For
this Mrs. Golden was very glad, as she could hardly have handled the
broom and pails of water as well as Bunker did.

"This is easier than cleaning out boats," declared the fish boy as he
"swabbed" the floor, as he called it.

Soon the store was scrubbed nice and clean and ready for more customers
the next day. As Bunny and Sue had nothing special to do they went to
the corner grocery to see if they could do anything to help. And Sue was
told by her mother to bring home the washed dress and petticoat.

"We've come to help," Sue announced, as she entered the store. "But I'm
not to draw any more molasses! Mother said I wasn't to!"

"Well, perhaps it will be as well for me to do that," said Mrs. Golden,
with a smile. "That spigot is sometimes hard to close."

"And I'm not to dip up any more flour," added Bunny.

"Yes, I suppose it will be as well for me to do that, too," said the
storekeeper. "But since you like to help me tend store there are many
other things you can do."

Bunny and Sue found them, for it was afternoon now, and many families in
the neighborhood sent children to buy things for supper.

"Hello, Sue!" called George Watson as he came into the store, whistling.
"I told my mother about that special sale of oatmeal you had here last
week. Got any more?"

"Yes, a few boxes left," said Mrs. Golden, who was behind the grocery
counter with Sue. Bunny was out in the storeroom opening a new box of
prunes. "They're up on a high shelf,