“What!  A whole roomful of chocolate creams do you consider a waste?” exclaimed Carrie.  “Why, we shall be envied of all our neighbors; and, Mamma, you have been sighing over our expenses, and wishing that Jimmy and I could support you.  Do not you see that we can make our fortune with chocolate creams?  First, let us eat all we want before telling anybody; then let us give some to choice friends, and we will sell the rest.”

All the time she was talking Carrie was putting in her hand for chocolate creams and cramming one after another.  Mrs. Fraser, too, did not refuse to taste them.  How could they ever get into the parlor again, unless they were eaten up?

“I am sure we can make quite a fortune,” Carrie went on.  “As soon as Jimmy comes home we can calculate how much it will be.  The last time I was in Boston I gave fifteen cents for a quarter of a pound, and there were just thirteen chocolate creams.  Now, see.  In my two hands I can hold fourteen; now, how many times that do you suppose there are in the room?”

Mrs. Fraser could not think.  Carrie was triumphant.

“Jimmy will know how to calculate, for he knows how many feet and inches there are in the room.  If not, he can measure by the piazza; and we can row the chocolate creams out, and see how many go to a foot, and then we can easily find out.  Of course, we shall sell them cheaper than they do in Boston, and so there will be a rush for them.  It will be bully!”

“I am glad we happened to take this rocking-chair out on the piazza this morning,” said Mrs. Fraser, languidly seating herself.  “I don’t see how we shall ever get into the parlor again.”

“Jimmy and I will eat our way in fast enough,” said Carrie, laughing; and Jimmy at that moment appeared with two boy friends, whom he had brought home to dinner.

They were all delighted when they understood the situation, and had soon eaten a little place by the window, inside the room.

“I quite forgot to buy any dinner,” exclaimed Mrs. Fraser, starting up.  “I meant to have ordered a leg of mutton as I went down, and now it is too late; and eggs for a pudding.  Jimmy will have to go down——­”

“Oh, the chocolate creams will do!” exclaimed Carrie.  “Don’t you see, there’s our first saving, and my wish does not turn out so extravagant, after all.  The boys will be glad to have chocolate creams for dinner, I’m sure.”

The boys all said they would, as far as they could, when their mouths were so full.

“We must put out an advertisement,” said Carrie, at last, as soon as she could stop to speak:  “‘Chocolate creams sold cheap!’ I guess we won’t give any away.  We may as well make all we can.  It will be geminy!  Suppose we look up some boxes and baskets, Jimmy, to sell them in; and you boys can go to the gate and tell people there are chocolate creams for sale.”

But all the boxes and baskets were soon filled, and only a little space made in the room.  Jimmy pulled out the other rocking-chair that Carrie had been sitting in, and she rested herself for a while.