Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-27
LITTLE LADY "KEEPS STORE. -
BY ALBERT BIGELOw PAINE.

Copyright 1901 by the Henry Altemus Coz
The Big Man has work to do at home
sometimes, and when this happens the Lit
tie Lady just loves to be in the room Where
he is working, though she knows that she
must keep very, very still. and not tax OF
disturb the Big Man. So she plays niue
silent games of her own. though by and by
she gets very tired of playing all alone e.
pecially when she keeps store
The Little Lady's store is at one END
Of the long table, near the book cases. anu
at the other end of the table the Dig Nc
is writing He doesn't even know that thele
is a store so close by until the Little Lady
tells him about 1t. .,. ,o
doesn't hear it. Then she tells MIN a ut.le
Iouder and he doesn't hear that, elIhei.
Then she forgets that she isn't to talk XII, II
she stays in that room, and tells MIN wv
or three times more, quite loud. :,
Papa, I've got store! Dlo you hiio"
had store, papa!
voice some of the words he is writing, ana
then he writes on again, very fast:
It's nice store papa peautllul s'oie
Don't you want to see it?
"Um-yeS-no-nOt now, GEAR. OoH
bother pop now; he's so busy"
The Little Lady also whisE RS to herseii
while she fixes her store some more ana
piles up the round pasteboard money SO
Big Man. He is writing faster than ever,
and she signs very loud. Pretty soon he
stops writing and looks into the fire. The
Little Lady slips down the edge OF the
table softly and leans over the Big Man
knee He doesn't seem to know it, SO she
leans over further and rocks his knee
little, while she looks down on the floor.
Then the Big Man finds out she Is there.
"Hello!' he says, "where'd you come
from?'
The Little Lady looks up gayly.
"Oh, papa, I've got store! Come an
see my store, papa! t-.
"A store? Where is it? I don't see any
storev'
The Little Lady dances up and down.
"Here!" she says. pointing. Right here,
on the end of the table. See it? See it,
papa?"
The Big Man looks, and thinks it must
be a book store from appearances. The
Little Lady says it is, and that she is ready
to sell the Big Man some books.
"Oh, yes Well, what books do you keep%'
The Little Lady thinks a moment.
why" she says, you know I've got the
Annie Orphan book an the Bear book an
Sing, Sing, What Shall I Sing?'
The Big Man thinks some, too.
Which will be the best for me to buy?'
he asks, presently.
well. you can buy the Annie Orphan
an the Sing, Sing If you want to-
How much are they?"
'They are-a-about sixty dollars an 1
give money with them"
oh! In change. l suppose. Very WELL"
The Little Lady quickly gathers up the
books in one hand and some Of her money
in the other and starts toward the Big
Man.
Don't you wrap up your books?'
The storekeeper becomes very much ex-
cited, and bobs up and down again. She
rushes back to the store, grabbing at a
piece of paper on the way which the Big
Man saves just in time. Then he says he
guesses she needn't wrap them up today,
SO the Little Lady runs to him with the
DOCKS ana money, and the Big Man takes
her right up into his arms-books money
and all-and some of the money drops and
roilS on the floor when he kisses her. The
Little Lady laughs very loud and saws "It,s
it, papa?" 40"
And the Big Man signs and saws. Eyes "
and then he kisses her again and saws he's
paying her for the books and that she cav
Keep the change. And pretty soon he sars
that II the Little Lady had all the books in
the world to sell and he could pay her for
them that way he would have the biggest
library that ever was eso''