Josephine had never before seen anything like the busy scene inside the butter market. It was a spacious, airy building, filled with row after row of stalls laden with baskets full of dairy produce. Directly inside the chief entrance was a huge crate, in charge of two boy scouts, and inside the crate were rabbits, poultry, vegetables, and various parcels, whilst in one corner was a big basket containing a dozen or so of eggs.
"Oh!" exclaimed Miss Basset, addressing one of the boys, "these are gifts for the Voluntary Aid Hospital, I suppose?"
"Yes, ma'am," he answered, adding: "The first lot of wounded arrived last night."
"Oh, dear me!" exclaimed the old lady, "oh, dear me!"
"Aunt Ann," said Josephine, "I should like to give something to the hospital. What can I buy?"
"Eggs?" suggested Miss Basset. "Really, though, there's no necessity for you to give anything. I will speak to your uncle and get him to send a present of apples and vegetables from the garden."
"But I want to give something myself," Josephine answered; "I will buy some eggs."
She bought a dozen, and placed them in the egg basket inside the crate. Then Miss Basset made her purchases, which her young companions carried for her to the carriage; they told Donald about the crate of gifts for the soldiers' hospital.
"Josephine has bought some eggs and given," May told her brother, "but I've no money. I spent my last week's pocket-money in chocolates; I shan't do that again."
"I've only threepence," Donald admitted. "Shall we ask Aunt Ann to buy us something, and—"