So the elderly couple, as interested as two children, opened their packages. At first, both were too busy renewing acquaintanceship with their own purchases to notice what the other was doing; but presently Mrs. Crane gave a start as her eye traveled over the table.
"Why, Peter Black," she exclaimed. "Here are two watches in Bettie's pile!"
"I didn't buy but one of them," declared Mr. Black, placing his finger on one of the dainty timepieces. "That's mine."
"The other's mine," confessed Mrs. Crane. "And, Peter, did you go and buy dolls all around, too?"
"I did," owned Mr. Black, opening a long narrow box. "One always buys dolls for Christmas."
"Well," sighed Mrs. Crane, "I guess they can stand two apiece, because ours are not a bit alike. You see, you got carried away by fine clothes and I paid more attention to the dolls themselves. The bodies are first-class and the faces are lovely. I bought mine undressed and I've had four weeks' pleasure dressing them—I sort of hate to give them up. The clothes are plain and substantial; I couldn't make 'em fancy."
"But the watches, Sarah?"
"Well, I guess we'll have to send half of those watches back. Yours are the nicest—we'll keep yours."
"I suspect," said Mr. Black, reflectively pinching two large parcels in Rosa Marie's heap, "that we've both bought Teddy bears for Rosa Marie. And we've both supplied the girls with perfume, purses and writing paper, but I don't see any books."
"We'll use the extra-watch money for books," decided Mrs. Crane, promptly. "Suppose you attend to that—if we both do it we'll have another double supply. I see we've both bought candy, too; but I need a box for the milk-boy and I'd like to send some little thing to Martin's small sister."