Job Lansing was pretending to be busy. He turned and at once broke into a roar of laughter. "Well, when did you ever see a blue-eyed Injin?”

"Oh, that's it, Ellie. Your doll had brown eyes, but mine are blue. What shall we do? It looks silly this way."

"Paint 'em black!" chuckled the old man.

"Of course!" said Ellie. Then in a tone loud enough to carry across the store: "Isn't Uncle quick to notice things?" Ellie meant him to hear what she said, but she was none the less sincere, for she had a high regard for her uncle's ability.

Job Lansing gave the girl a quick glance. She was daubing brown paint on the girl-doll's eyes. He was pleased by her praise and no less by her readiness to take his advice.

The little dresses and suits sold quickly. Mrs. Matthews bought a supply, and told other mothers about them.

But they were mostly white women who purchased the garments. While Ellie was glad to get. their trade, she still had the idea that she must get the squaws in the habit of coming in to do their own shopping.

The quick sale of the new goods made a deep impression on Job Lansing; he seemed especially pleased at the sales made to the white women at the mines. One morning he approached his niece with the suggestion that she had better keep her eyes open and find out the needs of the women around the mountains. Ellie had been doing this for weeks. She had a big list made out already, but she saw no need of telling her uncle. She looked up, her face beaming.

“That's a capital idea, Uncle. I think we might just as well sell them all their supplies." Ellie was happy. She knew her troubles were over, that her plan was working out. Still, she wasn't quite satisfied. A few of the shy squaws had been induced to come up and look at garments from the outside, peering into the shop through the door and windows. But there were probably twenty who had not been in the store. If only she could persuade them to come once, there would be no more trouble.

The final stroke which brought the Indians, both men and women, into the store was a bit of good luck. Ellie called it a miracle.

After a very heavy rainstorm in the mountains Jennings, the stage-driver, shouted to her one evening: "Do you mind if I leave a big box here for young Creighton over at the Scotia mine? The road's all washed out by Camp 3, and I don't dare take this any farther. It's one of those phonygrafts that makes music, you know. And say, Miss Ellie, will you telephone him that it's here?"

"Yes," answered Ellie in an absent-minded way. "I'll telephone him." She was still half-dreaming as she heard young Creighton's voice at the other end of the line, but at once she became eager and alert. "I want to ask a favor of you, Mr. Creighton. Your phonograph is here. They can't take it up on account of the washout. May I play on it? I'll make sure that it is boxed up again carefully."

"Why, certainly, Miss Ellie! I'll be glad to have you enjoy the music. The records are in the box. Perhaps I'll come over myself."

The next evening, about eight o'clock, when Will Creighton arrived, he found such a throng of Indians about the door that he had to enter by the kitchen. He heard the strains of the phonograph and had no need to ask the cause of the excitement. All the squaws were inside the store. Occasionally one would put out a hand and touch the case or peer into the dark box, trying to discover the source of the sound.

Creighton approached Ellie, who was changing a needle. With a smile she turned her flushed face to him. "Isn't this great! They're here, every one of them! You're awfully good to let us use the phonograph. I've ordered one like it for ourselves. The blessed squaws do enjoy music so much!"

Job Lansing was standing near the machine, enjoying it as much as any one. A new record had been put on, the needle adjusted, and the music issued forth from the mysterious box.

It was a college song, a "laughing" piece. And soon old Job was doubled over with his enjoyment of it. The squaws drew closer together. At first they scowled, for they thought that the queer creature in the polished case was laughing at them. Then one began to giggle, then another, and finally the whole store was filled with merriment. Sometimes the laughter would stop for a moment; then, as the sounds from the phonograph were heard, it would break forth again.

Ellie stood for hours, playing every record tour or five times. When she finally shut up the box, as a sign that the concert was over, the silent Indians filed out of the store and went home without a word.

But the girl knew that they would return. She had won! Another triumph was hers when the springtime came again. One day her uncle approached her and hesitatingly said: "Ellie, we're going to be awfully cramped when our new summer goods arrive. Guess I'd better have Hoan ride over and give me an estimate on an addition to the store."

Ellie suppressed the desire to cry out: "I told you so!" Instead, she said calmly: "Why, that's a fine idea, Uncle. Business is picking up, and it would be nice to have more room. I'm glad you thought of it."

CLASS ACTIVITIES

1. In what three ways did Ellie bring her uncle's store up to date? What is necessary in order to bring a store up to date?

2. Name three qualities in Ellie which made Job Lansing fond of her. Could she have succeeded if she had not been a favorite with him?

3. Did Ellie have any good reasons for thinking her plan would succeed when she ordered the dress-goods? To what extent was her success due to her own planning and skill? To her friend Louise? To Mary, the squaw? To Mr. Creighton?

4. Point out facts which show that Ellie was a good clerk.

5. Why did the author not tell the story in the strict time order of events and open with the paragraph beginning "For many years old Job had lived alone (p. 195)"? Compare this beginning with the beginning of "The Freshman Full Back," Book

One, p. 62. you like.

Compare with the beginnings of other stories which

6. Ask a newspaper man to explain what makes a "good lead"; find

three stories and three narratives in this or other books which open with "good leads." Write a good lead for one of the compositions suggested on p. 248.

CLASS-LIBRARY READINGS

BARTERING, TRADING, SHOPPING

1. "John Hancock: Merchant," P. Pressey, in Vocational Reader,

94-107.

2. "Robert Morris, Financier of the Revolution," in. Makers of Our History, 37-50.

3.

"Show-Card Writing," M. H. Pope, in Opportunities of Today for Boys and Girls, 121–125.

4. "Department-Store Education," H. R. Fox, ibid., 216-218.

5.

"The Metal That Measures the World's Wealth," Compton's Pictured Encyclopedia, 4: 1479-1480.

6. "How Long? How Much? What Does It Weigh?" ibid., 9:3713-3715.

When I was a child seven years old, my friends on a holiday filled my pocket with coppers. I went directly to a shop where they sold toys for children, and, being charmed with the sound of a whistle that I met by the way in the hands of another boy, I voluntarily offered and gave all my money for one. I then ran home and went whistling all over the house, much pleased with my whistle, but disturbing all the family.

My brothers and sisters and cousins, understanding the bargain I had made, told me I had given four times as much for the whistle as it was worth; put me in mind what good things I might have bought with the rest of the money; and laughed at me so much for my folly that I cried with vexation; and the reflection gave me more chagrin than the whistle gave me pleasure.

This, however, was afterwards of use to me, the impression continuing on my mind; so that often when I was tempted to buy some unnecessary thing, I said to myself, "Don't give too much for the whistle"; and I saved my money.