"Done now, Boss, anyhow. Don't you worry--we had quite a good day yesterday. Going to have another one to-day. You stay right in bed until you are well. We'll look after things there." Larsen was a good sort. I saw his ad in the paper. It read like this: SOMETHING THAT MOVES Every youngster likes a toy that moves. Get him one for Christmas! We have a large variety of moving and other Christmas toys. They are toys that will fascinate the youngster. They are strongly built toys, too, that will last. Railroads, 50¢ to $4.00 Constructor outfits, 25¢ to $6.00 Bamboo, the wonderful tumbling clown, 50¢ Automobiles, moving animals, juvenile tool outfits--hundreds of other things the children will like. Bring the youngsters in and let them enjoy the fun of our toy bazaar. Larsen told me that he had cleared away two long tables, placed them together, covered them with cheap oil cloth, and filled them up with toys, arranged in such a way that they could all be worked and handled easily. "I have Jimmie keeping 'em going all the time. He is working harder, playing with them things, than he ever did in his life," he said, with a chuckle. I couldn't help smiling at Larsen's cheeriness. He certainly had been different since we had had that dinner at home and had made Mrs. Larsen realize that I was looking after his interests as well as my own. I thought Larsen had done quite well on that ad, although there were some things in it that I'd have changed. He said that a lot of toys had been sold because he had them working. I had intended to do something of that kind myself, only I had felt too sick to attend to it. I remembered the big success we had had with electrical appliances when we demonstrated them in actual use. There were only six days to Christmas! Still, if we had a good week we ought to clear those toys out. Larsen told me Stigler's five-and-ten-cent store was packed. He thought it was a good thing for us. "Lots of folks go there," he said, "for 5- and 10-cent things. We're next door. They come to us for better stuff." Perhaps there was something in that, after all. CHAPTER XXXI A NEW COMPETITOR The New England Hardware Company were to open their store on Macey Street on January one. I knew because I had received the following letter from them, which evidently they had sent to every house in town: Dear Sir: The New England Hardware Company open their Farmdale Store January 1, at 62 Macey Street. This store will be in charge of Mr. Roger Burns, who for many years was in charge of the kitchen goods department at the Bon Marche. We earnestly solicit your patronage at our new store--not because by so doing you will help Mr. Burns (who has an interest in the profits of the company) but because you will get the best in kitchen hardware at cut-rate prices.