Mrs. Brandon laughed good-naturedly. “I’ve felt rather against considering the plan myself,” she admitted, “for as you say, dear, we would feel like intruders with Miss Townsend established in the store. Well, we don’t have to think about it now, at any rate,” she decided. “Come along for a walk. I’m afraid you haven’t been out much today and that’s one thing that would really worry me, dear. I don’t want you to stay indoors to take care of the store,” her mother admonished. “We don’t pretend to carry real necessities that people might expect to buy from us, and such stock as we do keep can be had at our convenience, as well as at theirs,” she finished definitely.
“You are perfectly right, Mother,” Nancy answered emphatically. “And that’s one thing I don’t like about business. Everybody just thinks we are their servants, and they even become rude when I tell them I haven’t got something they happen to want.”
“Oh, yes, I know. But I wouldn’t worry about that. It all adds to the value of the lesson, you know. Just be sure you are right, keep a cool head and a steady hand,” her mother laughed, “then, let the other folks lose their patience if they are foolish enough to do so. But listen,” she paused attentively. “Here comes Miss Manners. And she seems to be in trouble. I’ll let her in.”
The little lady was indeed in trouble for her face, small and somewhat pinched with threatening years, showed, as she entered the room, the unmistakable signs of weeping.
“Oh dear,” she sighed brokenly, as Nancy pulled out the rocker for her, “I don’t know why I should come to you folks, for I’m sure,” she gulped back her interrupting sobs, “you must have troubles enough of your own. But I just had to talk to somebody—”
“Talk away,” replied Nancy’s mother cheerily. “You know that is the best way to conquer one’s own troubles—to attack them with the troubles of someone else.”
“Maybe that’s so,” replied Miss Manners, brushing back a stray strand of her graying hair, “but I don’t just see how that is going to help me,” she faltered.
“Tell us yours,” urged Nancy, “and then we will be better able to judge.” Nancy sat back in her own chair, quite prepared now for a new chapter in the current events of Long Leigh.
CHAPTER XIII
BEHIND THE CLOUD
Poor little Miss Manners! Hers had been a brave struggle, and as Nancy and her mother listened to the brokenly told story, they were easily ready to pardon the little lady’s show of emotion.