Arthur Stringer

“ The watchers saw a transformation take place. Boxes of highly coloured candies appeared in the show window, together with bags of molasses pop-corn, and square tins of brown taffy, and rows of chocolate mice with elastic tails. There also appeared a box of pink and green marbles, and a wire basket with seven wizened lemons in it.
The inhabitants of the Street viewed all these things with wonder and delight. At times during the day at least a dozen admiring noses were flattened inquisitively against the little panes of the candy shop window. ”

“ All of their advances Tommie Doyle received with fitting reserve and dignity.
When he was subtly questioned about the amount of candy and taffy he was allowed to devour each day, he curled his lip with careless contempt.
"Candy? Ugh! I'm sick and tired of candy, I am!"
Never in all time had such a thing been known before. A chorus of wondering "Oh's" went up from the astonished circle.
"All I've got to do," said Tommie, with a proper sense of his own importance, "is to pick up a pan and sit down and eat it. But I like chocolate mice the best. They're great, ain't they? ”

“ Often Tommie would come out of the shop smacking his lips with great relish, and say that he could still taste that last chocolate mouse. Day by day, too, he recounted the amount of taffy and chocolate mice his mother made him consume, and told how she felt hurt if he did n't seem to enjoy his allowance. And week by week hope and hunger increased among the ranks of his army of worshippers. But neither candy nor taffy nor mice were forthcoming, and at last sounds of doubt and dissension arose. ”