looked like gold—pennies so many that they looked like a fortune.

“Gracious, what pretty money!” Maida exclaimed. “There must be a
million here.”

“Five hundred,” Billy corrected her.

He put some tiny cylindrical rolls of paper on the counter. Maida
handled them curiously—they, too, were heavy.

“Open them,” Billy commanded.

Maida pulled the papers away from the tops. Bright new dimes fell
out of one, bright new nickels came from the other.

“Oh, I’m so glad to have nice clean money,” Maida said in a
satisfied tone. She emptied the money drawer and filled its pockets
with the shining coins. “It was very kind of you to think of it,
Billy. I know it will please the children.” The thought made her
eyes sparkle.

The bell rang again. Billy went out to talk with Granny, leaving
Maida alone to cope with her first strange customer.

Again her heart began to jump into her throat. Her mouth felt dry on
the inside. She watched the door, fascinated.

On the threshold two little girls were standing. They were exactly
of the same size, they were dressed in exactly the same way, their
faces were as alike as two peas in a pod. Maida saw at once that