‘Perhaps you know more about it than I do,’ and turned away to attend to a new-comer.

‘I am much obliged to you, Mr. Meeker, I declare,’ said Mrs. Esterbrook.

’On the contrary, it is I who should be obliged to you for looking in.  You must excuse the mistake.  Mr. Pease is not so familiar with calicoes as I am.  But I will now wait on you myself.  We have a box of goods in the back-store, not yet open, and I am sure I can find in it just what you want.’

Any one who had seen Hiram’s air, and heard him speak, would have taken him for the proprietor.  With what a low, respectful tone he addressed the lady.  How pleasantly it fell on the ear.  An immense box of merchandise to be opened and all the contents overhauled to please her!  Charley was summoned, hammer and hatchet freely used, and the goods displayed.  Hiram, who knew much better what Mrs. Esterbrook wanted than she knew herself, selected something very acceptable.  The price he put at first cost.  Not content with that, he actually sold the lady silk for a dress, putting it at cost also, and no human being could have been in better humor than she.

’I am very sorry, Mrs. Esterbrook, for your disappointment about the first calico you selected,’ continued Hiram.  ’I do hope you and other members of your family will look in often, even if you do not purchase; it sometimes helps one to form a judgment to look at different stocks.  But I must be perfectly frank with you.  We profess to sell cheap, very cheap, but I can never offer you similar articles at the price you have these; they are given you precisely at cost, as a slight compensation for your trouble in having to look a second time.  Besides, it is a matter of mere justice to those worthy people, the Smiths, to say we do not sell our goods at these prices, and I beg you not to so report it.’

‘What an excellent young man you are,’ said good Mrs. Esterbrook, in the fullness of her heart.

’My dear madam, really I can not see any special excellence in simply doing my duty.’

Hiram smiled one of his amiable, winning smiles, and bowed his new customer politely out of the store.

By this time the dinner-hour had arrived.  Not a word had been spoken by Pease to Hiram since the scene just recounted.  Not a syllable did he utter at table.  Hiram, on the contrary, entered into familiar conversation, placid as usual, and enjoyed his dinner quite as well as he ever had done.  When the meal was over, Pease asked Mr. Jessup if he would step into the store a few minutes.  Mr. Jessup accordingly walked over.

‘I want to know, Mr. Jessup,’ he demanded, when all were together, including Charley, ‘whether you are the owner in here or Hiram Meeker?’

‘Why do you put such a question, Pease?’

Thereupon Pease told the whole circumstances very much as they occurred.  Mr. Jessup made no reply.  He was taken aback himself.  Hiram said not a word.