Tim had many and serious doubts as to whether Tip could be depended on to go for the cows alone; but he did not think it best to put those doubts in words, lest he should deprive his pet of his new-found friend.
It was only a ten minutes’ walk to Sam’s home, and when the cow had been led to her stall Tim proposed that Sam should ask permission for him to sleep in the barn.
“There’s time enough for that when we come back,” was Sam’s reply, the thought of the candy he was to have in case they reached the store before it was closed for the night driving all else from his mind. “Come on; we’ll catch Mr. Coburn if we hurry.”
Now, Tim would much rather have had the question settled as to his sleeping quarters before starting out for pleasure; but Sam was so eager for the promised feast that he felt obliged to do as he said, more especially since it was through his influence that he hoped to receive the favor.
Naturally Sam Simpson was not a quick-motioned boy; but no one could have complained of the speed with which he went toward Mr. Coburn’s store that night, and Tim found it hard work to keep pace with him.
The store was open, but the proprietor was just making preparations for closing. The candy, placed in two rather dirty glass jars, was in its accustomed place, and beamed down upon them in all its sticky sweetness, delighting Sam simply by the view to such an extent that he could hardly keep his two feet upon the floor.
With a gravity befitting the occasion and the amount of wealth he was about to squander, Tim asked to be allowed to see the goods he proposed to buy, in order to make sure they were of the proper length.
Old Mr. Coburn rubbed his glasses carefully, wiped his face as a sort of preface to his task, and set about making this last sale of the day with the air of a man who knows he is called upon to deal with very exacting customers.
It was fully five minutes before Tim could settle the weighty question of whether it was better to buy a stick of peppermint and one of lemon, and thus by dividing them get two distinct treats, or to take both of one kind, and thus prevent any dispute as to whether he had made a just and equal division.
