Part 18 (1/2)

”I like it,” said Susan, sniffing vigorously. ”The box is pretty, too.

Maybe your mother will give it to you when it is empty.”

”I will take this, please,” said Letty, with the air of an experienced shopper.

And so easy and so delightful is it to form the habit of spending money that Letty and Susan didn't even blink when they heard the price, ”thirty cents.”

They moved on, laden with their bundles, their eyes glancing hither and thither as they missed nothing of the gay scene about them. The Fair was now at its height. Every one was either buying or selling or walking about, laughing and talking, and all displaying their purchases in such a holiday mood, that Susan, at least, felt that she had never been in such a festive scene before.

They had halted near the despised ap.r.o.n table when, glancing up, Susan spied above her head a doll made of Turkish toweling.

”Letty,” said she, pulling at her friend's dress, ”can't we buy that doll for Johnny? I know he would like it, and his old Lolly has a hole in her back.”

So Letty, as spokesman and guardian of the pocketbook, bought and paid for the soft little dolly which fortunately proved to cost only ten cents.

Near the ap.r.o.n table was a half-open door which led into the church kitchen. In the kitchen stood the high freezers that supplied the popular ice-cream table, and, busily was.h.i.+ng dishes with her back turned to the door, stood hard-working Swedish Mrs. Jansen, who was glad of the money that the church cleaning and any odd jobs might bring to her.

Her little girl Emmy, no older than Letty and Susan, stood at her elbow, ready to act as errand girl. And just at the moment that Susan and Letty caught sight of her, Emmy was in disgrace, for her mother turned angrily upon her and with her hard fingers snipped the sides of her flaxen head.

Then she resumed her dish-was.h.i.+ng, and Emmy slunk away to the door, where she stood rubbing her sharp little knuckles in her eyes and peeping out at the gay scene in which she had no part.

”Did you see that?” asked Letty indignantly. ”Wasn't that the meanest?”

”Wasn't it?” answered Susan, her eyes round with sympathy. ”Let's buy her a present.”

Present-buying, if Susan had stopped to think, seemed to be somewhat like running downhill-not so easy at the beginning, but, once started, the simplest thing in the world.

And Letty was of one mind with her.

”Ice-cream,” she decided. ”And we will watch her eat it.”

Glowing with patronage and generosity, and feeling as important as if they were treating a whole orphan asylum, Letty and Susan led the astonished Emmy across the room to the ice-cream table.

”The best ice-cream that you have for ten cents,” ordered Letty largely.

And in a few moments they had the pleasure of seeing Emmy devour, in luscious mouthfuls, a large saucer of the pink-and-white frozen sweet.

”When are we going to have ours?” asked Susan, who began to think it would be fully as pleasant to sit down and eat ice-cream herself as to stand with hands full of bundles and watch some one else enjoying the treat.

”Right now,” returned Letty, with an air of authority.

She opened the pocketbook as she spoke, but after a glance inside she turned a dismal countenance upon her friend.

”We've spent it,” she faltered. ”We've spent it all but four cents.”

And she held the pocketbook, now woefully empty, so that Susan might see the sad truth for herself.

Susan stared blankly from the pocketbook into Letty's face.

”Won't we have any ice-cream at all, then?” she asked piteously.

Resourceful Letty turned and led the way down the room.

”We will just ask mother for some money,” said she airily.