dly.

"That's what it means, little man," was the answer, and Mr. Flynt did
not seem so cross now. Perhaps he was sorry for what he had to do. "Mrs.
Golden will have to give up her store."

CHAPTER XXV

GOOD NEWS

Bunny Brown and his sister Sue looked at each other with sad eyes. After
all their work it had come to this. The store would be closed! They
would have no place to come and have good times during the long vacation
days! It was too bad! What was to be done?

Sue waited for Bunny to speak, as she usually did, and Bunny, after
thinking the matter over, asked:

"Are you going to close it up right away?"

"Within a day or so, unless Mrs. Golden can pay her bills," answered Mr.
Flynt. "We have waited as long as we can. I'm going to begin now to
close out her business, but it will take two or three days. If she can
raise the money in that time----"

"There's no use waiting or hoping--I can't do it!" sighed the old lady,
with tears in her eyes. "I've tried my best, but I can't do it, even
with the help of these dear children and the pony express," and she
looked out of the window at Toby, hitched to the little basket cart.

"It is too bad," said Mr. Flynt. "We know you've done your best, and if
you didn't owe so much you might get along now, with the start you have.
But it takes all you can make to pay your back debts. It's best that you
should give up the store. My company is sorry for you, but we've waited
as long as we can. You'll have to sell out, Mrs. Golden."

"Yes, I suppose so," she agreed. "But if I could only hear from Philip,
and if he could bring the money from that legacy, I could pay all I owe
and start a bigger store. But I don't suppose there's any use hoping for
that."

"No, I believe not," agreed Mr. Flynt. "Your son Philip doesn't seem to
have gotten that legacy. Have you heard from him?"

"Not lately," said Mrs. Golden, with a sad shake of her head. "I don't
know why he hasn't written. Perhaps because he has no good news for
me."

"Very likely," said Mr. Flynt. "Well, I must go. You had better arrange
to sell everything by the end of the week, and pay us what you can.
We'll have to wait for the rest, I reckon."

"Won't there be a store here any more?" asked Sue.

"Oh, some one else may start one. It isn't a bad place for a grocery and
notion shop," answered the black-whiskered man. "But Mrs. Golden can't
keep this store any more."

"Maybe she can if my father will help