Bobby thought knives would be very good indeed, and Mr. Gobert led them
over to the case where all the penknives were displayed and let the
boys choose any two they wanted. On his advice they chose a
pearl-handled knife for a woman and a stag-handle which would please a
boy or a man.

"Stop in at Hampton's," said Mr. Gobert when they thanked him warmly,
the knives neatly wrapped and safe in Bobby's reefer pocket. "He ought
to have something nice for you."

Mr. Hampton kept the stationery store, and when he heard about the fair
he promptly gave the committee two boxes of writing paper, a pad of
bright new blotters, and a bottle each of red, white, and blue ink.
"To be patriotic," he said.

"They all want to know what it's for, then they're all right," said
Bobby, as the boys hurried along to another shop. "Talking takes a lot
of time, though."

The boys were really surprised to find how interested people were, and
how generous. The grocer gave them six glasses of bright red jelly
which, he said, would make their table look pretty as well as sell
readily. The baker promised them a plate of tarts the morning of the
fair. Steve Broadwell, the druggist, and a special friend of Bobby's,
not only gave them three fascinating little weather-houses, with an old
man and woman to pop in and out as it rained or the sun shone, and two
jars of library paste, but told Bobby that he would save some bottles
of cologne for Meg's table. The jeweler gave them four small
compasses. Even kind Doctor Maynard, whom they met driving his car out