"Of course I am not a business person like yourself, Mr. Green," she
said. "I am only a girl. But I worked in my uncles' store and, in a
way, managed it for two years or more before I came to Boston to school.
Beside that I have talked during these last few days with some of South
Harniss's most prominent people--permanent residents, not summer people.
From what they and others tell me I am convinced that the sole reason
why my uncles' business has fallen behind is because of a lack of
keeping up to the times in the face of competition. Everyone likes Uncle
Zoeth and Uncle Shadrach and wishes them well--they couldn't help that,
you know."

She made this assertion with such evident pride and with such absolute
confidence that Mr. Green, although inclined to smile, felt it might
be poor judgment to do so. So he agreed that there was no doubt of
Shadrach's and Zoeth's universal popularity.

"Yes," went on Mary, "they are dears, both of them, and they think
everyone else is as honest as they are, which is a mistake, of course.
So some people impose on them and don't pay their bills. I intend to
stop that."

She evidently expected her listener to make some comment, so he said,
"Oh, indeed!"

"Yes," continued Mary. "I intend to stop their trusting everyone under
the sun and I shall try my hardest to collect from those they have
already trusted. There is almost enough due to pay every bill we owe,
and I believe two-thirds of that is collectible if one really goes after
it."