Answer:
You could probably figure out that the boys in the story are English schoolboys, and were more than likely being evacuated from their home country to escape the possibility of atomic warfare. (Does this help?)
The main character is the girl ( the salesman could be considered one too but since you said character not characters its most probs the girl). The story takes place mostly at the store since thats her destination, the place where she forgot the money, and the place that had sympathy on her when she did (basically where all the events took place). Finally, the information that makes the readers want to continue reading is perhaps the fact that she will pay the store back which sort of already develops a plot for the next bit.
