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face lit with the tranquil satisfaction of those who have sojourned in the
comfortable city of Boston。
〃Well； my dear；〃 said Roger； 〃this makes it a real Thanksgiving。 You
look as plump and full of matter as The Home Book of Verse。〃
〃I've had a stunning time；〃 she said； patting Bock who stood at her
knee； imbibing the familiar and mysterious fragrance by which dogs
identify their human friends。 〃I haven't even heard of a book for three
weeks。 I did stop in at the Old Angle Book Shop yesterday； just to say
hullo to Joe Jillings。 He says all booksellers are crazy； but that you are
the craziest of the lot。 He wants to know if you're bankrupt yet。〃
Roger's slate…blue eyes twinkled。 He hung up a cup in the china
closet and lit his pipe before replying。
〃What did you say？〃
〃I said that our shop was haunted； and mustn't be supposed to come
under the usual conditions of the trade。〃
〃Bully for you！ And what did Joe say to that？〃
〃‘Haunted by the nuts！'〃
〃Well；〃 said Roger； 〃when literature goes bankrupt I'm willing to go
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with it。 Not till then。 But by the way； we're going to be haunted by a
beauteous damsel pretty soon。 You remember my telling you that Mr。
Chapman wants to send his daughter to work in the shop？ Well； here's a
letter I had from him this morning。〃
He rummaged in his pocket； and produced the following； which Mrs。
Mifflin read：
DEAR MR。 MIFFLIN；
I am so delighted that you and Mrs。 Mifflin are willing to try the
experiment of taking my daughter as an apprentice。 Titania is really a very
charming girl； and if only we can get some of the 〃finishing school〃
nonsense out of her head she will make a fine woman。 She has had （it
was my fault； not hers） the disadvantage of being brought up； or rather
brought down； by having every possible want and whim gratified。 Out of
kindness for herself and her future husband； if she should have one； I want
her to learn a little about earning a living。 She is nearly nineteen； and I
told her if she would try the bookshop job for a while I would take her to
Europe for a year afterward。
As I explained to you； I want her to think she is really earning her way。
Of course I don't want the routine to be too hard for her； but I do want her
to get some idea of what it means to face life on one's own。 If you will
pay her ten dollars a week as a beginner； and deduct her board from that； I
will pay you twenty dollars a week； privately； for your responsibility in
caring for her and keeping your and Mrs。 Mifflin's friendly eyes on her。
I'm coming round to the Corn Cob meeting to…morrow night； and we can
make the final arrangements。
Luckily； she is very fond of books； and I really think she is looking
forward to the adventure with much anticipation。 I overheard her saying to
one of her friends yesterday that she was going to do some 〃literary work〃
this winter。 That's the kind of nonsense I want her to outgrow。 When I
hear her say that she's got a job in a bookstore； I'll know she's cured。
Cordially yours； GEORGE CHAPMAN。
〃Well？〃 said Roger； as Mrs。 Mifflin made no comment。 〃Don't you
think it will be rather interesting to get a naive young girl's reactions
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THE HAUNTED BOOKSHOP
toward the problems of our tranquil existence？〃
〃Roger； you blessed innocent！〃 cried his wife。 〃Life will no longer
be tranquil with a girl of nineteen round the place。 You may fool yourself；
but you can't fool me。 A girl of nineteen doesn't REACT toward things。
She explodes。 Things don't ‘react' anywhere but in Boston and in
chemical laboratories。 I suppose you know you're taking a human
bombshell into the arsenal？〃
Roger looked dubious。 〃I remember something in Weir of Hermiston
about a girl being ‘an explosive engine；'〃 he said。 〃But I don't see that she
can do any very great harm round here。 We're both pretty well proof
against shell shock。 The worst that could happen would be if she got
hold of my private copy of Fireside Conversation in the Age of queen
Elizabeth。 Remind me to lock it up somewhere； will you？〃
This secret masterpiece by Mark Twain was one of the bookseller's
treasures。 Not even Helen had ever been permitted to read it； and she
had shrewdly judged that it was not in her line； for though she knew
perfectly well where he kept it （together with his life insurance policy；
some Liberty Bonds； an autograph letter from Charles Spencer Chaplin；
and a snapshot of herself taken on their honeymoon） she had never made
any attempt to examine it。
〃Well；〃 said Helen； 〃Titania or no Titania； if the Corn Cobs want their
chocolate cake to…night； I must get busy。 Take my suitcase upstairs like a
good fellow。〃
A gathering of booksellers is a pleasant sanhedrim to attend。 The
members of this ancient craft bear mannerisms and earmarks just as
definitely recognizable as those of the cloak and suit business or any other
trade。 They are likely to be a little shall we sayworn at the bindings；
as becomes men who have forsaken worldly profit to pursue a noble
calling ill rewarded in cash。 They are possibly a trifle embittered； which is
an excellent demeanour for mankind in the face of inscrutable heaven。
Long experience with publishers salesmen makes them suspicious of
books praised between the courses of a heavy meal。 When a publisher's
salesman takes you out to dinner； it is not surprising if the conversation
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turns toward literature about the time the last of the peas are being harried
about the plate。 But； as Jerry Gladfist says （he runs a shop up on Thirty…
Eighth Street） the publishers' salesmen supply a long…felt w