Two or three successive planks served as continuation of the sidewalk, and their ends did not quite join, but Philip skilfully piloted his wife along them. Beyond, in front of a residence, was a brick walk about two feet wide, after which was encountered soft mud for about fifty linear feet. Philip looked about for bits of board, stone, brick--anything with which to make solid footing at short intervals. But he could see nothing available; neither could he see any person out of doors, so in desperation he took Grace in his arms and carried her to a street-crossing, where to his delight he saw a broad stick of hewn timber embedded in the mud and extending from side to side. After this were some alternations of brick sidewalk, mud, and a short causeway of tan-bark, the latter ending at a substantial pavement in front of a store over which was a weatherbeaten sign bearing the name JETHRO SOMERTON. "The treasure-house of Her Majesty Grace I., Queen of Claybanks," said Philip. "Shall we enter?" As Philip opened the door, a small man who was replenishing the stove looked around, dropped a stick of wood, wiped his hands on his coat, came forward, smiling pleasantly, and said:-- "Mr. Somerton, I'm very glad to see you again." "Thank you, Mr. Wright. Let me make you acquainted with Mrs. Somerton." Caleb seemed not a bit appalled as he shook hands with Grace. He held her hand several seconds while he looked at her, and seemed to approve of what he saw; then he said:-- "Your uncle told me of your marriage, and thought you'd been very unwise. I reckon he'd change his mind if he was here, though 'twas a hard one to change." Grace blushed slightly and replied:-- "I hope so, I'm sure. Have you had the entire work of the store since Uncle Jethro died?" "Uncle--Jethro! I don't believe he'd have died if he'd heard you say that! Well, yes, I've been alone here. Your husband wrote he'd be along pretty soon, an' as the roads was so soft that the farmers didn't come to town much, I didn't think it worth while to get extra help. Come into the back room, won't you? There's chairs there, an' a good fire too." "Are the farmers your principal customers?" Grace asked, as she sank into a capacious wooden armchair. "Well, they're the most important ones. They take most time, too, though some of the women-folks in this town can use more time in spendin' a quarter an' makin' up their minds--principally the latter, than--well, I don't s'pose you can imagine how they wait, an' fuss, an' turn things over, an'--" "Oh, indeed I can," said Grace; "for once I was a country girl, and in New York I was a saleswoman in a store, and have waited on just such customers half an hour at a time without making a sale, though the store was one of the biggest in the city, and its prices were as low as any." "I want to know!" exclaimed Caleb, whose eyes had opened wide while Grace talked. "You?--a country gal?--an' a saleswoman? I wouldn't have thought it!"