quaint exterior and its equally delightful interior.

"The whole secret," she said, "is in keeping everything in good taste
and simple. Choose the right location, fit up your rooms in taste and
cheerfully, serve the best you can find, and sell the unusual and the
attractive things that other people do not have, or at least are not
likely to have. Then charge adequate prices."

"Adequate being spelled A double D," observed Barbara significantly.

Mary parted from Miss Hemingway with a new idea in her head, an idea
that sometime or other she meant to put into practice.

On Thursday afternoon she called upon Mr. Green. That gentleman, having
had his opportunity to think, was ready with a proposition. Briefly it
was this: He had personally seen the principal creditors of Hamilton
and Company--they were all Boston business houses--and he and they had
agreed to make the following offer: Hamilton and Company's credit upon
debts already owed was to be extended six months. Mary was to go home,
endeavor to collect what money she could, and with it buy for cash
whatever goods were needed for the summer season. If that season was a
success and the business promised well for the future, then arrangements
could be made for future buying and for paying the old debt a little at
a time.

"At any rate," concluded Mr. Green, "this postpones the mortgaging or
selling for a time at least, and you always have it to fall back on if
you can't make your new undertaking pay. I believe you can. I advise you
to accept. Your other creditors feel the same way."