“We’ve come to help,” Sue announced, as she entered the store.  “But I’m not to draw any more molasses!  Mother said I wasn’t to!”

“Well, perhaps it will be as well for me to do that,” said Mrs. Golden, with a smile.  “That spigot is sometimes hard to close.”

“And I’m not to dip up any more flour,” added Bunny.

“Yes, I suppose it will be as well for me to do that, too,” said the storekeeper.  “But since you like to help me tend store there are many other things you can do.”

Bunny and Sue found them, for it was afternoon now, and many families in the neighborhood sent children to buy things for supper.

“Hello, Sue!” called George Watson as he came into the store, whistling.  “I told my mother about that special sale of oatmeal you had here last week.  Got any more?”

“Yes, a few boxes left,” said Mrs. Golden, who was behind the grocery counter with Sue.  Bunny was out in the storeroom opening a new box of prunes.  “They’re up on a high shelf, I’ll get one down for you, Sue.”

But as she was going to do this a man entered the store.  He was Mr. Flynt, and Sue heard Mrs. Golden sigh when she saw him.

“You’ll have to wait a minute about that oatmeal,” said the storekeeper to George.  “I’ll get it down for you in a little while.  I have to see this gentleman first.”

George was willing to wait, but Sue was anxious to help in the store, and as she saw that Mrs. Golden was going to be busy talking to Mr. Flynt, the little girl decided she could get down the box of oatmeal herself.  She felt sure that Mrs. Golden would have trouble with Mr. Flynt who would want money, and Mrs. Golden had very little to pay.

“I’ll get the box of oatmeal for you, George,” said Sue.  “I know where it is.”

She climbed up on the counter by means of a box, and stretched up her little hands and arms to the shelf on which the cereal was stacked.  Sue reached for a box, managing to get hold of it by stretching as far as she could and standing on her tiptoes.  But as she pulled the one box out it caught on several others standing in line on the shelf.

“Look out!” cried George, as he saw what was going to happen.

But it was too late.  Sue could not get out of the way, and a moment later a shower of pasteboard boxes of oatmeal and other things fell all around her.

“What is happening?” cried Mrs. Golden, hearing the clattering sound.  She came hurrying from the back of the store where she had gone to talk quietly to Mr. Flynt.

“Everything is going to fall!” cried George.

But it was not quite so bad as this.  Sue kept her hands raised above her so nothing would hit her head, though one or two boxes did bump her a little.

Box after box slipped from the shelf, falling on the floor, on the counter, and all around poor little Sue!

CHAPTER XXIII