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 about "stupid," and Dad shook his head in a discouraged way.

"Right before his eyes, too!" he said.

Uncle Rob put his hand to his head. "I guess that's going some! Do you suppose he thought he'd told me what he wanted?"

"He didn't think at all," I said. "He knew what Burns wanted, wasn't that enough? Why didn't you get it for him?"

Uncle Rob shook his head. "This is strenuous!" he said; "I was a fairly tall man when I came down this morning; but the next person who comes in will have to stand on tiptoe and look over the counter, and say:—'Is your papa here, sonny?"

Miss Weed giggled; and Dad stopped on his way back to the office. "You boys had better straighten things up a little before closing time," he said; so we went to work. Presently Dad came back to check up some business with the cashier, and just then a man went past the door, with a gait like an express train, then he glanced in at the window, wheeled, and came into the store on a dog-trot. He came up to the counter and slammed down a big bottle.