Maidas Little Shop | Page 5

wrinkles surrounded a pair of
eyes that were a twinkling, youthful blue. And her down-turned nose
and up-growing chin could not conceal or mar the lovely sweetness of
her smile.
Just before Maida went to bed that night, she was surprised by a visit
from her father.
"Posie," he said, sitting down on her bed, "did you really mean it to-day
when you said you would like to keep a little shop?"
"Oh, yes, father! I've been thinking it over ever since I came home from
our ride this afternoon. A little shop, you know, just like the one we
saw to-day."
"Very well, dear, you shall keep a shop. You shall keep that very one.
I'm going to buy out the business for you and put you in charge there.
I've got to be in New York pretty steadily for the next three months and
I've decided that I'll send you and Granny to live in the rooms over the
shop. I'll fix the place all up for you, give you plenty of money to stock
it and then I expect you to run it and make it pay."
Maida sat up in bed with a vigor that surprised her father. She shook
her hands--a gesture that, with her, meant great delight. She laughed. It
was the first time in months that a happy note had pealed in her
laughter. "Oh, father, dear, how good you are to me! I'm just crazy to
try it and I know I can make it pay--if hard work helps."

"All right. That's settled. But listen carefully to what I'm going to say,
Posie. I can't have this getting into the papers, you know. To prevent
that, you're to play a game while you're working in the shop--just as
princesses in fairy-tales had to play games sometimes. You're going in
disguise. Do you understand?"
"Yes, father, I understand."
"You're to pretend that you belong to Granny Flynn, that you're her
grandchild. You won't have to tell any lies about it. When the children
in the neighborhood hear you call her 'Granny,' they'll simply take it for
granted that you're her son's child.
"Or I can pretend I'm poor Granny's lost daughter's little girl," Maida
suggested.
"If you wish. Billy Potter's going to stay here in Boston and help you.
You're to call on him, Posie, if you get into any snarl. But I hope you'll
try to settle all your own difficulties before turning to anybody else. Do
you understand?"
"Yes, father. Father, dear, I'm so happy. Does Granny know?"
"Yes."
Maida heaved an ecstatic sigh. "I'm afraid I shan't get to sleep
to-night--just thinking of it."
But she did sleep and very hard--the best sleep she had known since her
operation. And she dreamed that she opened a shop--a big shop this
was--on the top of a huge white cloud. She dreamed that her customers
were all little boy and girl angels with floating, golden curls and
shining rainbow-colored wings. She dreamed that she sold nothing but
cake. She used to cut generous slices from an angel-cake as big as the
golden dome of the Boston state house. It was very delicious--all honey
and jelly and ice cream on the inside, and all frosting, stuck with
candies and nuts and fruits, on the outside.

----------------------
The people on Warrington Street were surprised to learn in the course
of a few days that old Mrs. Murdock had sold out her business in the
little corner store. For over a week, the little place was shut up. The
school children, pouring into the street twice a day, had to go to Main
Street for their candy and lead pencils. For a long time all the curtains
were kept down. Something was going on inside, but what, could not
be guessed from the outside. Wagons deposited all kinds of things at
the door, rolls of paper, tins of paint, furniture, big wooden boxes
whose contents nobody could guess. Every day brought more and more
workmen and the more there were, the harder they worked. Then, as
suddenly as it had begun, all the work stopped.
The next morning when the neighborhood waked up, a freshly-painted
sign had taken the place over the door of the dingy old black and white
one. The lettering was gilt, the background a skyey blue. It read:
MAIDA'S LITTLE SHOP
CHAPTER II
: CLEANING UP
The next two weeks were the busiest Maida ever knew.
In the first place she must see Mrs. Murdock and talk things over. In
the second place, she must examine all the stock that Mrs. Murdock left.
In the third place, she must order new stock from the wholesale places.
And in the fourth place, the rooms must be made ready for her and
Granny to live