irection, and Seth persuaded
himself that it might be safe to halt here for so long a time as would
be necessary to select something from the varied stock to appease
hunger, and at the same time be within his limited means.

For the first moment since leaving the ferry-slip he allowed Snip to
slip out of his arms; but caught him up again very quickly as the dog
gave strong evidence of a desire to spend precious time in a frolic.

"You must wait a spell longer, Snippey dear," he muttered. "We may
have to run for it, an' I mightn't have a chance to get you in my arms
again. It would be terrible if the officers got hold of you, an' I'm
afraid they'd try it for the sake of catchin' me, 'cause everybody
knows I wouldn't leave you, no matter what happened."

Then Seth stole softly into the shop, as if fearing to awaken the
suspicion of the proprietor by a bold approach, and once inside, gazed
quickly around.

Two or three early, unwholesome-looking apples and a jar of ginger
cakes made up the list of eatables, and his decision was quickly
made.

"How many of them cakes will you sell for five cents?" he asked
timidly of the slovenly woman who was embroidering an odd green flower
on a small square of soiled and faded red silk.

She looked at him listlessly, and then gazed at the cakes
meditatively.

"I don't know the price of them. This shop isn't mine; I'm tendin' it
for a friend."

"Then you can't sell things?" and Seth turned to go, fearing lest he
had already loitered too long.

"Oh, dear, yes, that's what I'm here for; but I never had a customer
for cakes, an' to tell the truth I don't believe one of 'em has been
sold for a month. Do you know what they are worth?"

"The bakers sell a doughnut as big as three of them for a cent, an'
throw in an extra one if they're stale."

The lady deposited her embroidery on a sheet of brown paper which
covered one end of the counter, and surveyed the cakes.

"It seems to me that a cent for three of them would be a fair price,"
she said at length, after having broken one in order to gain some
idea of its age.

"Have you got anything else to eat?"

"That candy is real good, especially the checkerberry sticks, but
perhaps you rather have somethin' more fillin'."

"I'll take five cents' worth of cakes," Seth said hurriedly, for it
seemed as if he had been inside the shop a very long while.

The amateur clerk set about counting the stale dainties in a
businesslike way; b