When she returned home at noon, she proposed the plan to her mother. Mrs. Redburn was much pleased with it, though she suggested many difficulties in the way of its success. The girls might not be honest; but if they were not, they could be discharged. Many of them were vicious; they would steal or be saucy, so that people would not permit them to enter their stores and offices, and the business would thus be brought into disrepute. Katy determined to employ the best girls she could find, and to tell them all that they must behave like ladies.
The next morning Ann Grippen appeared with her face and hands tolerably clean, and wearing a dress which by a liberal construction could be called decent. She brought a dirty, rusty old tray, which was the best she could obtain; yet in spite of all these disadvantages, the little candy merchant looked upon it as a hopeful case.
"Now, Ann, you must be very civil to everybody you meet," said Katy, as she covered the rusty tray with a sheet of clean white paper.
"I hope I know how to behave myself," replied Ann, rather crustily.
"I dare say you do;" and she might have hinted that there was some difference between knowing how to do a thing and doing it.
"I was only going to tell you how to sell candy. If you don't want me to tell you, I won't."
"I should like to have you tell me, but I guess I know how to behave."
"You must be very civil to everybody, even when they don't speak very pleasant to you."
"I don't know about that," replied Ann, doubtfully, for it was contrary to the Grippen philosophy to be very civil to any one, much less to those who were not civil to them.
"When any one buys any candy of you, you must always say, `Thank you'; and then the next time you meet the person he will buy again."
"How much you going to give me for selling?" demanded Ann, abruptly cutting short the instructions.
"Mother thinks you ought to have four cents a dozen."
"Four cents? My mother says I ought to have half, and I ain't going to sell your candy for no four cents a dozen."
"Very well; you needn't if you don't wish to do so;" and Katy removed the sheet of white paper she had placed over the dirty tray.
"You ought to give me half I get," added Ann, rather softened by Katy's firmness and decision.
"Four cents is enough. I often sell a hundred sticks in a day."
"Well, I don't care; I will try it once."
"If we find we can afford to pay any more than four cents, we will do so."
Katy covered the tray again, and arranged two dozen sticks on it in an attractive manner. After giving Ann some further instructions in the art of selling candy, she permitted her to depart on her mission. She was not very confident in regard to her success for Ann was too coarse and ill-mannered for a good sales-woman. She hoped for the best, however, and after preparing her own tray, she went out to attend to business as usual. In the court she saw Master Simon Sneed, who was sitting on his father's doorstep. She noticed that he looked sad and downhearted; and when he spoke to her the tones of his voice indicated the same depression of spirits.
"Have you seen the Mayor lately, Katy?" asked Simon, as he approached.
"Not very lately"
"I should like to see him," added he, raising his eyes to her.
