WhenheassumedmanlyairsshelaughedathimandwhenheinvitedhertoaccompanyhimtotheCattleShowatOstablesherefusedandsaidshewasgoingwithUncleZoeth。
DanHigginswasnottheonlyyoungfellowwhofoundthestoreofHamiltonandCompanyanattractiveloungingplace。SomeoftheyounggentlemennotpermanentresidentsofSouthHarnissalsoappearedtoconsideritapleasantplacetovisitonSummerafternoons。Theycametobuy，ofcourse，buttheyremainedtochat。
Mary-’Gustamighthavesailedorpicknickedagooddealandinthebestofcompany，sociallyspeaking，ifshehadcaredtodoso。Shedidnotsocare。
“Theydon’twantme，UncleShad，“shesaid。“AndIdon’twanttogo。“
“Coursetheywantyou，“declaredShadrach，stoutly。“Iftheydidn’twantyoutheywouldn’taskyou，’tain’tlikely。AndIheardthatyoungKeithfelleraskin’youtogooutsailin’withhimthisveryafternoon。“
“Youdidn’thearhissisteraskme，didyou？There，there，UncleShad，don’tworryaboutme。I’mhavingagoodtime；averymuchbettertimethanifIwentsailingwiththeKeiths。“
“What’sthematterwiththeKeiths？They’reasnicefolksascometoSouthHarniss。“
“Ofcoursetheyare。“
“Well，then！Andyou’reasgoodastheyare，ain’tyou？“
“Ihopeso。UncleShad，whydon’tyouwearawhiteflannelsuitinhotweather？Mr。Keith，Sam’sfather，woreoneatthechurchgardenpartytheotherday。“
TheCaptainstaredather。“Whydon’tIwear——what？“hestammered。
“Awhiteflannelsuit。You’reasgoodasMr。Keith，aren’tyou？“
“IguessIam。Idon’tknowwhyIain’t。Butwhatkindofaquestion’sthat？I’dlooklikeaplainfooltaggedoutinoneofthemthings：anyway，I’dfeellikeone。Idon’tbelonginawhiteflannelsuit。Iain’tnoimitationdude。“
“AndIdon’tbelonginSamKeith’syacht。AtleastMr。KeithandEdnawouldfeelthatIdidn’t。Idon’twanttobeconsideredanimitation，either。“
Shadrachshookhishead。“Youain’tlikeanybodyelse，“hesaid。
“You’reafunnygirl，Mary-’Gusta。“
“IsupposeIam；butI’mnotasfunnyasIshouldbeifItriedtoBEsomebodyelse。No，UncleShad，you’lljusthavetobearwithmeasIam，funninessandall。“
AfewdaysafterthisKeith，senior，cameintothestore。HewasnotarrayedinthewhiteflannelsbutwaswearingarathershabbybutverycomfortabletweedjacketandtrousersandawhitecanvashatofthekindwhichHamiltonandCompanysoldforfiftycents。
Hisshirtwasofthesoft-collaredvarietyandhisshoeswerewhatSouthHarnisscalled“sneakers。“
JohnKeith’svisitstoCapeCodwereneitherveryfrequentnorlengthy。HiswifeandfamilycameinJuneandremaineduntillateSeptember，buthissojournswereseldomlongerthanaweekatatimeandtherewereintervalsofamonthormorebetweenthem。InChicagohewastheheadofalargebusinessandthatbusinessdemandedcloseattention。Whenheleftithelefthiscareswithitandenjoyedhimselfinhisownway。Thatwayincludedoldclothes，golf，aboat，andjustasfewteaandgardenpartiesashiswifewouldpermit。
Hewasplanningafishingtripandhadstoppedatthestoretobuysometobacco。ThepartnershadgonehomefordinnerandMary-’Gustawastendingshop。AtthatmomentshewasbusywiththetravelingrepresentativeofMessrs。Bernstein，GoldbergandBaun，ofProvidence，wholesaledealersinstationery，cardsandnovelties。
ThetimewasAugust，butMr。Kron，thedrummer，wasalreadybookingordersfortheChristmasseason。HissamplesweredisplayeduponthecounterandheandMary-’Gustaweredeepinconversation。
“That’swhatyououghttohave，“declaredMr。Kron，withenthusiasm。
“Believeme，there’sgoin’tobesomecallforthatlineofstuffthisyear。Thehousecan’tturn’emoutfastenough。“
“Butwhatisit？“askedMary-’Gusta。“What’sitfor？“
“It’sacombinationcalendarandbeauty-box，“explainedMr。Kron。
“Hangitonthewallbyyourbureau——see？Inthemornin’youcan’trememberwhatdayitis。Allright，there’sthecalendar。Thenyouwanttodollyourselfupfor——well，forthepartyyou’regoin’to——“
“Thesamemorning？“interruptedMary-’Gusta。
Mr。Krongrinned。Hewasayoungmanandthiswashisfirsttripinthatsection。Hisclotheswereneithermodestnorretiringandhe，himself，didnotsufferfromthesefailings。Alsohepridedhimselfonhavingawaywiththeladies，especiallytheyoungerladies。AndMary-’Gustawasdistinctlythemostattractiveyoungpersonhehadmetonthistrip。
Helaughedinappreciationofthejoke。
“Say，“heobserved，admiringly，“you’reuptotheminute，ain’tyou！
You’resomekidder，allright。Aretheremanymoreinthisburglikeyou？IfthereareI’mgoin’tomoveinandsettledown。
What？“
Mary-’Gustadidnotlaugh，nordidsheanswer。Instead，sheturnedtothegentlemanwhohadenteredthestore。
“Goodmorning，Mr。Keith，“shesaid。“Wasthereanythingyouwanted？“
Keithsmiled。“Nohurry，“hesaid。“I’vegotalittletimetokillandifyoudon’tmindI’llkillithere。I’llsitdownandwait，ifImay。Thatboatmanofminewillbealongprettysoon。“
Hetookthechairbythedoor。Mr。Kroncontinuedhisexploitationofthecombinationcalendarandbeauty-box。
“Youaregoin’toaparty，“hewenton，“eitherthatnightorthatafternoonorsometime。Sureyouare！Girlslikeyouain’thandedthego-byonmanypartiesinthisneckofthewoods——amIright？
Well，then，whenthetimecomes，youpulldowntheflap。There’syourbeauty-box，lookin’-glass，powderpuffandpowder，allcomplete。Nowanoveltylikethatwillsell——“
“Wecouldn’tuseit，“interruptedMary-’Gusta。“Showmesomethingelse。“
Mr。Kron，disappointedbutfarfromdiscouraged，showedhersomethingelse——manysomethings。Concerningeachhewasenthusiastic，slangy，andfamiliar。Mary-’Gustapaidlittleattentiontoslangorenthusiasm；thefamiliaritysheignoredutterly。Sheselectedseveralofthenovelties，aratherextensivelineofChristmascards，andinthemattersofpriceandcashdiscountswaskeenandbusinesslike。Keithwatchedandlistened，atfirstwithamusement，thenwithgrowingadmirationforthegirl’ssimplicityandgoodsense。
Mr。Kron’sadmirationwasoutspoken。
“Say，“hesaid，asherepackedhissamples，“you’reamightycleverbuyer，doyouknowit？Thatlineofstuffyou’veorderedisthecream，that’swhatitis。Youmadeamistakeinnotlayin’inadozenortwoofthosecombinationbeauty-boxes，butthat’sallright。Here，haveoneforyourself。Takeitwithmycompliments。“
Mary-’Gustadeclined。“No，thankyou，“shesaid。
“Whynot？Itdon’tcomeoutofmypocket。Thefirmexpectsmetohandoutlittlekeepsakeslikethat。I’vebeenplantin’’emwiththegirlsallthewaydown。“
“No，thankyou，“shereplied。
Mr。Kron，havingfinishedhisbusinessasrepresentativeofMessrs。
Bernstein，GoldbergandBaun，attemptedastrokeofhisown。
“Say，“hesaid，“I’vegotalittlesparetimeonmyhandsthisevenin’；Ishan’tmakethenexttownuntiltomorrow。There’sanewmovietheaterjustopenedovertoOrham。Theytellmeit’salltothemustard。Icanhirearighereandyouandmemightdriveovertonightandtakeitin。Whatdoyousay，Kid？“
“No，thankyou，“saidMary-’Gustaagain。
“But——“
“No，thankyou。Goodday。“
Sheturnedawaytoentertheordershehadjustgiveninabookonthedesk。Mr。Krontriedagain，butshedidnotappeartohearhim。
Hegrinned，observed“Oh，verywell！“and，withawinkatMr。Keith，wentout，asuitcaseineachhand。
Keithrosefromthechairand，walkingovertothecounter，requestedtobesuppliedwiththetobaccohehadcometobuy。Mary-
’Gustagaveittohim。HercheekswereredandKeithwassurprisedtonoticethatshelookedalmostasifshewouldliketocry。Heguessedthereason。
“Thatyoungmanwillgethimselfthoroughlykickedsomeday，“heobserved；“I’mnotsurethatIoughtn’ttohavedoneitmyselfjustnow。Heannoyedyou，I’mafraid。“
Mary-’Gustaansweredwithoutlookingathim。
“That’sallright，“shesaid。“I’mfoolish，Iguess。Hemeanttobenice，perhaps。Somegirlsmaylikethatsortofniceness；I