Ben Pepper (Musaicum Christmas Specials). Sidney Margaret

      "Oh, so much!" declared the old lady.

      "I haven't," said Joel; "I've only had a good time," and patting his steam-engine lovingly. Then he set it off once more. "Whee,—whiz,—see her go!" he cried.

      "Stop, Joey, we're all through," said Polly.

      "And it's time to go," said Ben.

      "And send 'em to-night, do," said Joel, deserting his engine abruptly to march up to the old lady.

      "Oh, Joel!" cried Polly, much ashamed.

      "And tell the boy who gets the pig to turn him upside down when the squeak won't come," said Joel, nowise abashed.

      "Come on, Joe," said Ben, picking his sleeve.

      "Oh, wait a moment, Ben," said Madam Van Ruypen, laying a detaining hand on his arm, as the others said good-by and filed downstairs to get coats and hats on. "I think, myself, it might be advisable to add a few things to wear to these presents, and I want you to go to-morrow afternoon with me to choose them. Will you?"

      And Ben said "Yes," quite overwhelmed with the thought. He was actually going shopping with Madam Van Ruypen!

      VI

       BEN GOES SHOPPING WITH MADAM VAN RUYPEN

       Table of Contents

      All the rest of the Peppers crowded up to the windows to watch Ben go off in state in the Van Ruypen carriage, Phronsie climbing up on a chair to see him the better. As for Ben himself, he was so amazed at the whole thing, to think that he was by Madam Van Ruypen's side, and expected to give his opinion as to matters and things, that for some minutes he had all he could do to keep his attention on what she was saying.

      "You see, Ben," at last he made out, "I don't know in the least what to get for a boy, and if it were not for you, I shouldn't think of such a thing as to pick out clothes for one. Well, here we are," as Carson drew up to a large tailoring establishment. "We'll go in and do our best, but it must be you who does the selecting."

      Ben, with an awful feeling at his heart at all this responsibility, stumbled after her as she marched down the long store, the salesmen all vying with each other to attract her attention and wait upon her. She didn't notice any of them, but kept on her way, her Roman nose and white puffs of hair held well up, until at the end of the aisle a little dapper man stepped up, rubbing his hands obsequiously together, and stopped her progress.

      "Anything I can show you, madam?" he said with a bow and a flourish.

      Madam Van Ruypen looked him all over carelessly. "Oh, well, I suppose you can; this boy here," she turned to Ben, "understands what I want. Now then, Ben, speak up and tell the man, for I know nothing about it." With that she looked around for a chair, which the little dapper man, hurrying off, soon brought, and, sitting down, she drew up her stately figure to its full height, and left Ben to his own devices.

      "I suppose it must be a coat," began Ben. Oh, if Mamsie were only there! Instead, was the big figure in the black silk coat, whose eyes had such a way of boring right through one that it seemed to take the breath away of the one being inspected.

      "I suppose so," said the old lady, "as we have come for clothes; why, a coat appears to be essential, and if I were to express an opinion, I should consider that the rest of the suit would be a good investment, too."

      "Quite right," assented the shopman. "Now I will show you some. This way, madam; here, stay, and I will move your chair."

      "You will do nothing of the sort," said Madam Van Ruypen, shortly; "this is not to be of my purchasing; this boy will attend to it for me. Ben, you go along with the man and select the articles."

      "Do you mean I'm to go without you, ma'am?" asked Ben, quite aghast at the very idea, his blue eyes very wide.

      "Of course," said the old lady, having hard work not to laugh; "I said so, I believe."

      "But, but—I may not pick out the right things," stammered Ben.

      "I'll trust you," said Madam Van Ruypen, waving him off summarily. So as there was nothing else to do, Ben followed the little man down what seemed an interminable number of aisles, at last pausing before a set of drawers, on either hand of which was a cabinet with doors.

      "Now, here," said the salesman, swinging wide one of the doors, "is just the thing. It's for yourself, I suppose," and he took down with a deft hand a jacket and a pair of trousers.

      "Oh, no, it isn't," Ben made haste to say, answering the question.

      "Hey—oh!" the little man whirled around to stare at him,—"your brother then?"

      "No," said Ben, growing hot and red in the face. "It isn't for any of us,—no one I know; she's going to give them away to some boy who—" he was going to say "needs them," but the salesman shut off the words from his mouth, and, clapping to the door, led the way off down another aisle to a counter where the suits were piled high; "I've got just the very thing for you here," he announced, twitching one out; "there, now, see that."

      "But that is much too nice," said Ben, putting his finger on the fine goods, and wishing he were anywhere else in the world but in that store, and the perspiration began to trickle in little drops down his face.

      "So?" the salesman leaned his hands meditatively on the counter, and surveyed him. "Well, I'll show you some other goods. Come this way," and again they traversed some more aisles, took an elevator, and went up what seemed to Ben a great many floors, at last coming out to a department which, as far as the eye could see, was stacked with thick, ready-made goods of serviceable materials.

      "There," said the little man, giving quick, birdlike glances on either side, and, at last pausing, he slapped his hand smartly down on a small pile of suits, "is just the ticket for you."

      "Yes," said Ben, and he ran his hand approvingly over the thick surface, "I guess it is; it looks good."

      "And it is good," said the salesman, emphatically; "it'll outwear three of those other ones downstairs. We haven't but a few of these left. Now, how big is the boy you want it for?"

      "I don't know," said Ben, helplessly.

      "Well, we've got to have something to go by," said the salesman; "of course you can't buy at random and haphazard."

      "She didn't say," said Ben, with a nod over in the direction supposed to be where Madam Van Ruypen was waiting several floors below for the transaction to be completed. "But she's going to give them to a boy," he added desperately, "and so I guess I'll pick out the very best you have for the money, and it'll be right. They'll fit some boy."

      "Right you are," declared the salesman, delighted to have the matter satisfactorily arranged, and, pulling out a coat and jacket, he held them up before Ben's eyes. "Now that is the best money value we've got in the store. Fact. We're closing them out. Couldn't afford to give 'em at this low figure, but there's only these few left, and we don't allow remnants to bother us long, no, sir." He rattled on so fast that Ben, who was slowly going over the coat, which he had by this time gotten into his own hands, in a close examination as to buttons and buttonholes, only half heard him. Indeed, it wasn't in the least necessary, for he hadn't held the garment for a moment before he knew quite well that here was a good bargain, and one well fitted to warm some poor boy, and to wear well.

      "You can't find fault," said the little man, in great satisfaction, when the whole suit had been gone over in this slow way, "'cause there ain't any. Fact! Well, do you want it?"

      "How much is it?" asked Ben.

      "Nine-fifty. It's worth three dollars more, but we're closing them out, as I told you, and we don't give room to remnants. It's a bargain if ever there was one. Fact! Do you want it?"

      "Yes, if she says so," said Ben. And now his spirits quite rose, for it was a good thing, and he was not ashamed to show it to Madam Van Ruypen, or to any one else, as his selection. So the salesman