Page:Stringer - Lonely O'Malley.djvu/109

 man. His wife, however, was busily engaged in wiping down the shelves, putting a newspaper over a large pan of cooling maple-sugar, which had just gone through a frugal course of dilution with wholesome brown sugar.

Annie Eliza could n't decide whether to take all chocolate mice, or half in some of the fresh maple-sugar. She finally compromised on a chocolate mouse and a pennyworth of candy from each and every one of the six new jars.

While this purchase was being counted out, Lonely's voice sounded wistfully from without the back door of the little shop.

"Say, maw, ain't you a-goin' to let me scrape out that maple-sugar pot?"

Annie Eliza and Betty looked at each other, electrified.

"Lonely, you stop nagging!" answered his mother, as she dropped the seven pennies in a cigar-box behind the counter.

"But I ain't had a taste of any of this good stuff since we moved in!" continued the doleful and reproving voice of Lonely.

The two shoppers exchanged glances.

"You know what your father said about