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〃I'm making some pastry； so I'm going to turn you over to your employer。
He can show you round the shop and tell you where all the books are。〃
〃Before we begin；〃 said Titania； 〃just let me give Bock his present。〃
She showed a large package of tissue paper and； unwinding innumerable
layers； finally disclosed a stalwart bone。 〃I was lunching at Sherry's； and I
made the head waiter give me this。 He was awfully amused。〃
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THE HAUNTED BOOKSHOP
〃Come along into the kitchen and give it to him；〃 said Helen。 〃He'll be
your friend for life。〃
〃What an adorable kennel！〃 cried Titania； when she saw the
remodelled packing…case that served Bock as a retreat。 The bookseller's
ingenious carpentry had built it into the similitude of a Carnegie library；
with the sign READING…ROOM over the door； and he had painted
imitation book…shelves along the interior。
〃You'll get used to Mr。 Mifflin after a while；〃 said Helen amusedly。
〃He spent all one winter getting that kennel fixed to his liking。 You might
have thought he was going to live in it instead of Bock。 All the titles that
he painted in there are books that have dogs in them； and a lot of them he
made up。〃
Titania insisted on getting down to peer inside。 Bock was much
flattered at this attention from the new planet that had swum into his
kennel。
〃Gracious！〃 she said； 〃here's ‘The Rubaiyat of Omar Canine。' I do
think that's clever！〃
〃Oh； there are a lot more；〃 said Helen。 〃The works of Bonar Law；
and Bohn's ‘Classics；' and ‘Catechisms on Dogma' and goodness knows
what。 If Roger paid half as much attention to business as he does to jokes
of that sort； we'd be rich。 Now； you run along and have a look at the
shop。〃
Titania found the bookseller at his desk。 〃Here I am； Mr。 Mifflin；〃
she said。 〃See； I brought a nice sharp pencil along with me to make out
sales slips。 I've been practicing sticking it in my hair。 I can do it quite
nicely now。 I hope you have some of those big red books with all the
carbon paper in them and everything。 I've been watching the girls up at
Lord and Taylor's make them out； and I think they're fascinating。 And
you must teach me to run the elevator。 I'm awfully keen about elevators。〃
〃Bless me；〃 said Roger； 〃You'll find this very different from Lord and
Taylor's！ We haven't any elevators； or any sales slips； or even a cash
register。 We don't wait on customers unless they ask us to。 They come in
and browse round； and if they find anything they want they come back
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THE HAUNTED BOOKSHOP
here to my desk and ask about it。 The price is marked in every book in
red pencil。 The cash…box is here on this shelf。 This is the key hanging on
this little hook。 I enter each sale in this ledger。 When you sell a book
you must write it down here； and the price paid for it。〃
〃But suppose it's charged？〃 said Titania。
〃No charge accounts。 Everything is cash。 If someone comes in to
sell books； you must refer him to me。 You mustn't be surprised to see
people drop in here and spend several hours reading。 Lots of them look
on this as a kind of club。 I hope you don't mind the smell of tobacco； for
almost all the men that come here smoke in the shop。 You see； I put ash
trays around for them。〃
〃I love tobacco smell；〃 said Titania。 〃Daddy's library at home smells
something like this； but not quite so strong。 And I want to see the worms；
bookworms you know。 Daddy said you had lots of them。〃
〃You'll see them； all right；〃 said Roger； chuckling。 〃They come in
and out。 To…morrow I'll show you how my stock is arranged。 It'll take
you quite a while to get familiar with it。 Until then I just want you to poke
around and see what there is； until you know the shelves so well you could
put your hand on any given book in the dark。 That's a game my wife and
I used to play。 We would turn off all the lights at night； and I would call
out the title of a book and see how near she could come to finding it。 Then
I would take a turn。 When we came more than six inches away from it
we would have to pay a forfeit。 It's great fun。〃
〃What larks we'll have；〃 cried Titania。 〃I do think this is a cunning
place！〃
〃This is the bulletin board； where I put up notices about books that
interest me。 Here's a card I've just been writing。〃
Roger drew from his pocket a square of cardboard and affixed it to the
board with a thumbtack。 Titania read：
THE BOOK THAT SHOULD HAVE PREVENTED THE WAR
Now that the fighting is over is a good time to read Thomas Hardy's
The Dynasts。 I don't want to sell it； because it is one of the greatest
treasures I own。 But if any one will guarantee to read all three volumes；
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and let them sink into his mind； I'm willing to lend them。
If enough thoughtful Germans had read The Dynasts before July； 1914；
there would have been no war。
If every delegate to the Peace Conference could be made to read it
before the sessions begin； there will be no more wars。
R。 MIFFLIN。
〃Dear me；〃 said Titania； 〃Is it so good as all that？ Perhaps I'd better
read it。〃
〃It is so good that if I knew any way of doing so I'd insist on Mr。
Wilson reading it on his voyage to France。 I wish I could get it onto his
ship。 My； what a book！ It makes one positively ill with pity and terror。
Sometimes I wake up at night and look out of the window and imagine I
hear Hardy laughing。 I get him a little mixed up with the Deity； I fear。
But he's a bit too hard for you to tackle。〃
Titania was puzzled； and said nothing。 But her busy mind made a
note of its own： Hardy； hard to read； makes one ill； try it。
〃What did you think of the books I put in your room？〃 said Roger。 He
had vowed to wait until she made some comment unsolicited； but he could
not restrain himself。