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had vowed to wait until she made some comment unsolicited； but he could
not restrain himself。
〃In my room？〃 she said。 〃Why； I'm sorry； I never noticed them！〃
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THE HAUNTED BOOKSHOP
Chapter IV
The Disappearing Volume
Well； my dear；〃 said Roger after supper that evening； 〃I think perhaps
we had better introduce Miss Titania to our custom of reading aloud。〃
〃Perhaps it would bore her？〃 said Helen。 〃You know it isn't
everybody that likes being read to。〃
〃Oh； I should love it！〃 exclaimed Titania。 〃I don't think anybody ever
read to me； that is not since I was a child。〃
〃Suppose we leave you to look after the shop；〃 said Helen to Roger； in
a teasing mood； 〃and I'll take Titania out to the movies。 I think Tarzan is
still running。〃
Whatever private impulses Miss Chapman may have felt； she saw by
the bookseller's downcast face that a visit to Tarzan would break his heart；
and she was prompt to disclaim any taste for the screen classic。
〃Dear me；〃 she said； 〃Tarzanthat's all that nature stuff by John
Burroughs； isn't it？ Oh； Mrs。 Mifflin； I think it would be very tedious。
Let's have Mr。 Mifflin read to us。 I'll get down my knitting bag。〃
〃You mustn't mind being interrupted；〃 said Helen。 〃When anybody
rings the bell Roger has to run out and tend the shop。〃
〃You must let me do it；〃 said Titania。 〃I want to earn my wages； you
know。〃
〃All right；〃 said Mrs。 Mifflin； 〃Roger； you settle Miss Chapman in the
den and give her something to look at while we do the dishes。〃
But Roger was all on fire to begin the reading。 〃Why don't we
postpone the dishes；〃 he said； 〃just to celebrate？〃
〃Let me help；〃 insisted Titania。 〃I should think washing up would be
great fun。〃
〃No； no； not on your first evening；〃 said Helen。 〃Mr。 Mifflin and I
will finish them in a jiffy。〃
So Roger poked up the coal fire in the den； disposed the chairs； and
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THE HAUNTED BOOKSHOP
gave Titania a copy of Sartor Resartus to look at。 He then vanished into
the kitchen with his wife； whence Titania heard the cheerful clank of
crockery in a dishpan and the splashing of hot water。 〃The best thing
about washing up；〃 she heard Roger say； 〃is that it makes one's hands so
clean； a novel sensation for a second…hand bookseller。〃
She gave Sartor Resartus what is graphically described as a 〃once
over；〃 and then seeing the morning Times lying on the table； picked it up；
as she had not read it。 Her eye fell upon the column headed
LOST AND FOUND Fifty cents an agate line
and as she had recently lost a little pearl brooch； she ran hastily
through it。 She chuckled a little over
LOSTHotel Imperial lavatory； set of teeth。 Call or communicate
Steel； 134 East 43 St。 Reward； no questions asked。
Then she saw this：
LOSTCopy of Thomas Carlyle's 〃Oliver Cromwell；〃 between
Gissing Street； Brooklyn； and the Octagon Hotel。 If found before
midnight； Tuesday； Dec。 3； return to assistant chef； Octagon Hotel。
〃Why〃 she exclaimed； 〃Gissing Streetthat's here！ And what a funny
kind of book for an assistant chef to read。 No wonder their lunches have
been so bad lately！〃
When Roger and Helen rejoined her in the den a few minutes later she
showed the bookseller the advertisement。 He was very much excited。
〃That's a funny thing；〃 he said。 〃There's something queer about that
book。 Did I tell you about it？ Last Tuesday I know it was then
because it was the evening young Gilbert was here a man with a beard
came in asking for it； and it wasn't on the shelf。 Then the next night；
Wednesday； I was up very late writing； and fell asleep at my desk。 I must
have left the front door ajar； because I was waked up by the draught； and
when I went to close the door I saw the book sticking out a little beyond
the others； in its usual place。 And last night； when the Corn Cobs were
here； I went out to look up a quotation in it； and it was gone again。〃
〃Perhaps the assistant chef stole it？〃 said Titania。
〃But if so； why the deuce would he advertise having done so？〃 asked
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THE HAUNTED BOOKSHOP
Roger。
〃Well； if he did steal it；〃 said Helen； 〃I wish him joy of it。 I tried to
read it once； you talked so much about it； and I found it dreadfully dull。〃
〃If he did steal it；〃 cried the bookseller； 〃I'm perfectly delighted。 It
shows that my contention is right： people DO really care for good books。
If an assistant chef is so fond of good books that he has to steal them； the
world is safe for democracy。 Usually the only books any one wants to steal
are sheer piffle； like Making Life Worth While by Douglas Fairbanks or
Mother Shipton's Book of Oracles。 I don't mind a man stealing books if
he steals good ones！〃
〃You see the remarkable principles that govern this business；〃 said
Helen to Titania。 They sat down by the fire and took up their knitting
while the bookseller ran out to see if the volume had by any chance
returned to his shelves。
〃Is it there？〃 said Helen； when he came back。
〃No；〃 said Roger； and picked up the advertisement again。 〃I wonder
why he wants it returned before midnight on Tuesday？〃
〃So he can read it in bed； I guess；〃 said Helen。 〃Perhaps he suffers
from insomnia。〃
〃It's a darn shame he lost it before he had a chance to read it。 I'd like to
have known what he thought of it。 I've got a great mind to go up and call
on him。〃
〃Charge it off to profit and loss and forget about it；〃 said Helen。 〃How
about that reading aloud？〃
Roger ran his eye along his private shelves； and pulled down a well…
worn volume。
〃Now that Thanksgiving is past；〃 he said； 〃my mind always turns to
Christmas； and Christmas means Charles Dickens。 My dear； would it
bore you if we had a go at the old Christmas Stories？〃
Mrs。 Mifflin held up her hands in mock dismay。 〃He reads them to
me every year at this time；〃