"Harry"--one may look over her pretty shoulder without impertinence,
in a story--"Harry," she wrote, "is a boy that I long to steal. Just the
kind of boy we have both wanted, Sarah--frank, happy, affectionate.
I must tell you something about him. It came out by accident.
He has the Western business instincts, and what do you suppose he did?
He actually started a wee shop of his own in the corner of the yard
(really it is a surprisingly pretty place, and they are quite civilized
in the house, gas, hot water, steam heat, all most comfortable), and
sold 'pop' and candy and cakes to the boys. He made so much money that
he proposed a partnership to the cook and the setting up a little booth
in the 'county fair,' which is like our rural cattle shows, you know.
The cook (a superior person who borrows books from Mrs. Lossing,
but seems very decent and respectful notwithstanding, and broils game
to perfection. And SUCH game as we have here, Sarah!)--well, the cook
made him cream-cakes, sandwiches, tarts, and candy, and Harry honorably
bought all the provisions with his profits from the first venture.
You will open your eyes at his father permitting such a thing,
but Henry Lossing is a thorough Westerner in some ways, and he looks
on it all as a joke. 'Might show the boy how to do business,' he says.

"Well, they had a ravishing display, so Alma, the cook,
and William, the man, assured me--per Derry.
All the sadder its fate; for alas! a gang of rowdy boys fell
upon Harry, and while he was busy fighting half of them--
he is as plucky as his uncle, the general--the other half
looted the beautiful stock in trade! They would have despoiled
our poor little merchant entirely but for the opportune arrival
of a schoolmate who is mightily respected by the rowdies.
He knocked one of them down and shouted after the others
that he would give every one of them a good thrashing if they