"There's nineteen-and-sixpence taken out of the till," said Mrs. Hopkins. "Some one must have come into the shop, for the accounts are nineteen-and-sixpence short. When I left the house yesterday there were three pounds in the till—three pounds and fivepence-halfpenny. You sold, according to your own showing, a penn'orth of paper, which makes an extra penny; but when I went into the accounts this morning I found that the whole amount was only two pounds one shilling and a halfpenny. Nineteen-and-sixpence is missing. Susy, what does this mean?"
"I am sure, mother, I can't tell you. No one came into the shop; certainly no one stole the money."
"My dear child, seeing is believing. I assure you there are only two pounds one shilling and a halfpenny in the till. I scarcely took a penny this morning, and that nineteen-and-sixpence makes it impossible for me to pay my rent, as I meant to do, to-day. Who can have come in and stolen very nearly a pound's worth of my hard-earned money?"
"Nobody, mother dear. Do let me examine the till."
"Are you quite positive that no one came into the shop?"
"Nobody, mother."
"You did not leave the shop even for a moment?"
"Yes; I went to sit in the parlor."
"Oh, Susy? there you are! I trust you with my house and property, and you leave the shop without any one in it Did you lock the till?"