“I don’t like that man!” declared Sue, as she picked up the broom.

“I don’t, either!” said Bunny.  “What makes him so cross, Mrs. Golden?”

“Maybe he can’t help it, dearie.  Going around making people pay up is a cross sort of work, I guess.”

“But what makes him want you to give him money?” asked Sue.  “I thought a store was a place where people paid you money.  I didn’t think you had to pay money out.  Bunny’s going to keep a store when he grows up.  Will he have to pay out money?”

“No, I’m not going to!” cried the little boy.  “People have got to pay me money, but I don’t pay any.”

“You have lots to learn about a store, little man!” said Mrs. Golden.  “It isn’t all fun, as you and Sue suppose.  Do you see all these things on my shelves?” she asked.

The children looked around at them and nodded their heads.

“To get them I have to buy them from other people—­from the wholesalers, as they are called,” explained Mrs. Golden.  “The Grocery Supply Company is one of them.  I buy barrels of sugar, barrels of flour, big boxes of prunes, and so on, from this company.  Then I sell a few pounds of sugar, flour or prunes at a time and make a little money each time I sell.  You see I don’t pay as much for the flour and sugar as I sell it for.  The difference in price comes to me, and is what I live on, and sometimes it’s little enough.

“And now the trouble is I have bought a great many things from this Mr. Flynt’s company, and I haven’t the money to pay for them.  That’s why he’s cross.  He has a right to his money, but I haven’t it to give him.”

“Why not?” Bunny asked.

“Well, because I don’t sell very much in my little store.  If I sold more I’d have the money to pay my bills.”

“Oh, Bunny, I know what we can do!” cried Sue.  “We can tell mother to buy everything here—­all her groceries and things—­and then Mrs. Golden will have money to pay the cross man.”

“Your mother is very kind as it is,” said the old lady.  “I’d like to have her trade here, but of course I don’t keep the best of everything.  I have to sell cheap goods.  But of course if I sold more of them I’d have more money and then I could pay my bills.

“But there, my dears, this isn’t any fun for you.  You came to get your pennies’ worth of candy, and I’ll pick it out for you.  An old woman’s troubles aren’t for little ones like you.”

“My father had troubles once,” said Bunny, “and we hugged him and kissed him; didn’t we, Sue?  That was when there was a fire on his boat dock.”

“Yes, we were sorry a lot,” Sue replied.  “And we’re sorry for you now, Mrs. Golden, and I’m going to tell mother to buy all her things here.”

“That’s very kind of you,” said the woman.  “But if Philip only gets that legacy I’ll have money enough to pay all my debts and a little left over.  Now don’t worry about me.  Try to have a good time.  I’ll get your candy!”