“Why, of course I have screens in here, Lucy,” said Mrs. Traddle. “How else could I keep out the flies? Screens? I should say so. Flies are dreadful around a candy shop. Now tell me what kind you want and I’ll wait on you. But please hurry. I have a cake in the oven.”
Mrs. Traddle glanced back toward the living rooms in the rear of her little candy shop. Now Margie thought she would try. So, raising her voice, she said:
“We want jelly beans and gum drops!”
“Yes, it is pretty good weather for crops,” agreed Mrs. Traddle. “We could do with a mite more of rain, though. But, in general, as you say, crops are good. Now did you want some candy?”
The two girls looked at each other helplessly. Then Lucy did what she should have done at first. She pointed to the glass dish of jelly beans and to the one containing gum drops. Then she put her five-cent piece on the top of the show case and made a mixing motion with her hands.
“Oh, of course! Why didn’t you say so at first?” asked Mrs. Traddle, somewhat peevishly. “Children come in here talking about fly screens and crops and don’t seem to know what they want. Jelly beans and gum drops, of course. Mix them up. Certainly. Your motion, Lucy, reminds me I mixed up a cake and it’s in the oven now. I’ll have to hurry and take it out. Here’s your candy.”
Whether it was because she liked the two little girls or because she was in a hurry, Mrs. Traddle gave Lucy a very generous five cents’ worth of candy and the two girls went out of the store rejoicing.
The girls ate part of the candy on their way to Mason’s meadow. They saved some with which to make the boys envious. In a short time they were at the field. But they saw no signs of Teddy, Dick or Joe.
“Maybe they’ve been here and gone,” said Margie.
“No, I don’t think so,” said Lucy. “It takes quite a while to wind up those rubber band motors. Maybe they’re over by the woods. Come on!”