holding a roll of poster board out for them to see. "But I
don't see anywhere to put it so that people will see it."
"I know," said Melanie. "Let's set up by the
pet store in that little oasis with the indoor trees, the waterfall, and the
park benches."
"Good idea," said Katie. "People shopping at
the pet store ought to be especially interested in saving animals."
When they reached the spot, a pair of elderly ladies were just
leaving one of the benches, and Beth grabbed it before anyone else could get
there. Then the girls unrolled their poster and taped it to the backrest of the
bench where it could be seen by people passing by.
"Does anyone have anything to collect the money in?"
asked Jana.
Nobody did, but Melanie spotted an empty soft-drink cup
floating in the fountain and retrieved it. "Here," she said, shaking
off the water drops. "Okay, guys. Time to go to work."
"Excuse me, Ma'am," said Beth, stopping a plump
woman coming out of the pet store. She was carrying a cat's clawing post
decorated with a big red ribbon. "Wouldn't you like to help save the lives
of fifteen dogs and cats that the local animal shelter is going to put to sleep
on Christmas Eve?"
The lady looked startled. "Christmas Eve? Oh, my."
"That's right," piped up Melanie. "It costs
twenty-five dollars apiece to adopt the animals, and we're trying to raise
enough money to adopt all of them."
The lady gave a breathless little sigh and set down the
clawing post. Then she dug into her purse and pulled out a dollar bill. "Here,"
she said. "Good luck."
Melanie and Beth looked at each other in wide-eyed
disbelief. "Why didn't we think of this before?" Melanie burst out. "It's
a snap."
"What's this about animals being put to sleep?"
The girls looked up to see a man standing beside them in jeans and a ski
jacket, holding the hands of two snowsuited toddlers.
"That's right," said Christie. "The animal
shelter is overcrowded and they have no choice."
"Well, we certainly want to do something about that,
don't we, kids?"
The two children nodded their heads vigorously. Then the man
handed each of them a quarter and instructed them to drop it into the cup.
"Wow!" cried Beth. "This is what I call
Christmas!"
"Just a moment, young ladies." The voice that
spoke this time did not sound friendly, and the girls turned to see a mall
security guard with his arms folded across his chest, frowning at them. "I'd
like to know what you think you're doing?"
"We're . . . um . . ." Melanie stammered.
"We're collecting money to save the lives of fifteen
dogs and cats at the animal shelter," spoke up Katie.
"And of course you know that soliciting in the
mall without a permit is against the law," the guard said sternly. "There
are signs posted all over the mall," he added, pointing to a large sign
beside the door to the pet store that said: ABSOLUTELY NO SOLICITING IN THE
MALL.
Melanie cringed. She had been in the mall thousands of
times, but this was the first time she had ever seen the sign.
"Gosh, Officer. We're sorry," she said. "We
didn't realize we were breaking the law. We're only trying to help the animals."
The officer's expression softened a little. "The
correct procedure is to go to the main office of the mall on the first floor
and fill out a request for a permit. The office will review it, check your
references, and let you know in a few days."
Melanie's shoulders slumped. "Thanks," she said, "but
we don't have a few days."
The girls rolled up their poster again and headed for the
exit, saying good-bye to Katie, who still had to shop for sneakers.
"I guess we'll just have to think of something else,"
said Jana.
Melanie nodded and then brightened. "Well, at least we
got another dollar and fifty cents."
"Wow! Look at all the mail Melanie's got." Jeffy
grabbed for the envelopes Melanie had in her hands a little while later, and
she jerked them away.
"Leave me alone, squirt. These are donations." She
thumbed through them, counting. "Seven. That's
don't see anywhere to put it so that people will see it."
"I know," said Melanie. "Let's set up by the
pet store in that little oasis with the indoor trees, the waterfall, and the
park benches."
"Good idea," said Katie. "People shopping at
the pet store ought to be especially interested in saving animals."
When they reached the spot, a pair of elderly ladies were just
leaving one of the benches, and Beth grabbed it before anyone else could get
there. Then the girls unrolled their poster and taped it to the backrest of the
bench where it could be seen by people passing by.
"Does anyone have anything to collect the money in?"
asked Jana.
Nobody did, but Melanie spotted an empty soft-drink cup
floating in the fountain and retrieved it. "Here," she said, shaking
off the water drops. "Okay, guys. Time to go to work."
"Excuse me, Ma'am," said Beth, stopping a plump
woman coming out of the pet store. She was carrying a cat's clawing post
decorated with a big red ribbon. "Wouldn't you like to help save the lives
of fifteen dogs and cats that the local animal shelter is going to put to sleep
on Christmas Eve?"
The lady looked startled. "Christmas Eve? Oh, my."
"That's right," piped up Melanie. "It costs
twenty-five dollars apiece to adopt the animals, and we're trying to raise
enough money to adopt all of them."
The lady gave a breathless little sigh and set down the
clawing post. Then she dug into her purse and pulled out a dollar bill. "Here,"
she said. "Good luck."
Melanie and Beth looked at each other in wide-eyed
disbelief. "Why didn't we think of this before?" Melanie burst out. "It's
a snap."
"What's this about animals being put to sleep?"
The girls looked up to see a man standing beside them in jeans and a ski
jacket, holding the hands of two snowsuited toddlers.
"That's right," said Christie. "The animal
shelter is overcrowded and they have no choice."
"Well, we certainly want to do something about that,
don't we, kids?"
The two children nodded their heads vigorously. Then the man
handed each of them a quarter and instructed them to drop it into the cup.
"Wow!" cried Beth. "This is what I call
Christmas!"
"Just a moment, young ladies." The voice that
spoke this time did not sound friendly, and the girls turned to see a mall
security guard with his arms folded across his chest, frowning at them. "I'd
like to know what you think you're doing?"
"We're . . . um . . ." Melanie stammered.
"We're collecting money to save the lives of fifteen
dogs and cats at the animal shelter," spoke up Katie.
"And of course you know that soliciting in the
mall without a permit is against the law," the guard said sternly. "There
are signs posted all over the mall," he added, pointing to a large sign
beside the door to the pet store that said: ABSOLUTELY NO SOLICITING IN THE
MALL.
Melanie cringed. She had been in the mall thousands of
times, but this was the first time she had ever seen the sign.
"Gosh, Officer. We're sorry," she said. "We
didn't realize we were breaking the law. We're only trying to help the animals."
The officer's expression softened a little. "The
correct procedure is to go to the main office of the mall on the first floor
and fill out a request for a permit. The office will review it, check your
references, and let you know in a few days."
Melanie's shoulders slumped. "Thanks," she said, "but
we don't have a few days."
The girls rolled up their poster again and headed for the
exit, saying good-bye to Katie, who still had to shop for sneakers.
"I guess we'll just have to think of something else,"
said Jana.
Melanie nodded and then brightened. "Well, at least we
got another dollar and fifty cents."
"Wow! Look at all the mail Melanie's got." Jeffy
grabbed for the envelopes Melanie had in her hands a little while later, and
she jerked them away.
"Leave me alone, squirt. These are donations." She
thumbed through them, counting. "Seven. That's
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