“And I’ll finish this sweeping,” laughed Sue.

“I’ll help,” said Bunny Brown, and then, in spite of the cross man, there seemed to be a little bit of sunshine in Mrs. Golden’s store.

CHAPTER XV

THE BROKEN WINDOW

“Daddy,” said Bunny Brown that night, as the family were in the pleasant living room, “have you much money in the bank?”

“I have a little, Bunny, yes.  But why do you ask?” Mr. Brown wanted to know.

“I have some in my bank!” cried Sue, before her brother could answer.  “I guess maybe I have a hundred and seventy dollars!”

“Pennies you mean, dear!  Pennies!  Not dollars!” laughed her mother, for the children each had a penny bank.

“Well, pennies, then,” agreed Sue.  “But aren’t a hundred and seventy pennies ’most the same as a hundred dollars?”

“Pooh!  No!” said Bunny.  “It takes a hundred pennies to make even one dollar!”

“Oh—­o—­o—!  Does it?” exclaimed Sue.  “What a terrible lot of money!”

“Yes, it does seem a lot,” laughed Mr. Brown.  “But why are you talking about money?” and he looked at his little son.  “Why did you ask if I had any money in the bank?”

“I was wondering if Mrs. Golden had any in her bank,” said Bunny.

“I don’t believe she has very much,” said Mr. Brown.  “I was past her store to-day.  It’s a very small one.  I don’t see how she makes a living there.”

“We were in there to-day,” went on Bunny, “and a man came in and wanted a lot of money.  He said Mrs. Golden owed him.  He was from the grocery company.”

“Yes, the wholesale house, I presume,” remarked Mr. Brown.  “Well, Bunny, did Mrs. Golden pay her bills?”

“No,” said Bunny, a bit sadly, “she didn’t.  And Mr. Flynt was cross.  I was thinking maybe if you had a lot of money in the bank you could take some out and give it to Mrs. Golden, and then she wouldn’t have to cry when cross men came in.  And she could pay you back when she got her leg—­her legacy!” and Bunny brought the last word out with a jerk, for it was rather hard for him to remember.

“What’s all this about?” asked Mr. Brown, looking at his wife in some surprise.

“I don’t know,” answered the children’s mother.  “It’s the first I’ve heard of it.  Bunny and Sue often go to the little corner store.  It’s handy when Mary wants something in a hurry.”

“Tell me more about Mrs. Golden, Bunny,” asked his father.

Thereupon the story of the cross man and the money the old lady owed to the grocery company was told as well as the children could tell it.

“It’s too bad!” exclaimed Mrs. Brown.  “I want you children to be as kind as you possibly can to Mrs. Golden.  Help her all you can, Bunny and Sue.”

“And will you buy things there?” asked Sue.

“Why, yes,” agreed her mother.  “We will trade there all we can.  Mr. Gordon, the big grocer, can afford to lose a little of our custom.”