"What will you have, my little lady?" said a clerk, bowing to Dotty.

"I don't want anything, if you please, sir. There was a boy, and he
asked me to stay here while he went to find something."

"Very well; sit as long as you please."

"Screwed right down into the floor, this piano stool is," thought Dotty;
"makes it real hard to sit on, because you can't whirl it. Guess I'll
walk 'round a while. Why, if here isn't a window right in the floor!
Strong enough to walk on. There's a man going over it with big boots and
a cane. I can look right down into the cellar. Only just I can't see any
thing, though, the glass is so thick."

Dotty watched the clerks measuring off yards of cloth, tapping on the
counter, and calling out, "Cash." It was rather funny, at first, to see
the little boys run; but Dotty soon tired of it.

"Horace is gone a long while," thought she, going to the door and
looking out.

"He has forgotten to call, or he's forgotten where he left me, or else
he hasn't found Fly. Dear, dear! I can't wait. I'll just go out a few
steps, and p'rhaps I'll meet 'em."

She walked out a little way, seeing nothing but a multitude of strange
faces.

"Well, I should think this was queer! I'll go right back to that store,