“Now don’t muss everything up!” ordered Ted, for a group of boys had laid hold of the fish-hook box, and it was impossible for Nancy to get it back.
“You must not take things away from the counter,” she protested, for at that moment the box of sinkers was being carted off to the door, by Jud Morgan and Than Beach. They said they only wanted to pick out a couple where there was more room, but it was plainly a risky way to make their selection.
“Dear me!” sighed Nancy to Ted. “Please look out and see if the girls are coming. These boys will have everything upset—”
But the girls were coming, in fact they were just then elbowing their way in from the front door.
“Hello—hello—hello!” called out Ruth joyfully. “Isn’t this grand! Going to buy us out first thing—”
“Oh, land sakes!” wailed Nancy. “I’ve been in here fifteen minutes and I haven’t sold a stick. We should have charged admission.”
Isabel looked on rather importantly. Evidently she knew or thought she knew how to handle a crowd of boys.
“You’ve got to get in line!” she announced.
A laugh, a whole series of laughs was her answer.
“Do you hear me?” she insisted, raising her voice to suit the occasion.