"Oh, how jolly! Let's go and look at the shops, shall we?"
Mrs. Winter nodded smilingly. A ten minutes' walk brought them to one of the busiest streets in the city, where there were most attractive shops. Jackie liked toyshops best, next to them the sweet shops; and, oh, how Mrs. Winter wished that she had a few pence she could spare to buy a present for her little companion!
"I'm sorry I've no money to spend, Jackie," she said regretfully, by-and-bye.
"So'm I," the little boy replied; "we'd buy something for Bobbie if you had, wouldn't we? But, never mind, we can tell him about all the beautiful things—he'll like to hear about them."
"Fortunately there's no charge for looking," Mrs. Winter remarked, as they stopped before a toyshop. "Do you see that big Teddy-bear, Jackie?"
"I like horses better than Teddy-bears," he told her, "I like that horse there." He pointed to a toy worth a couple of shillings. "Bobbie was going to buy it for me, only Aunt Martha wouldn't let him have the money. He says when father comes home perhaps I may have it—if it's not sold before then."
"If it is, I daresay there are others in the shop you will like as well. Come, my dear, it's nearly five o'clock—time we turned homewards now."
The last shop they stopped to look at was a sweet shop. Jackie's eyes fastened themselves on some sugar mice—white ones and pink ones.
"I wonder if they're 'spensive," he said wistfully.
"They're marked a penny each," Mrs. Winter answered. Oh, surely she could spare one penny? Yes, if she drank her tea without milk for a couple of days. She took her purse from her pocket, opened it, and the next moment a penny was in her little companion's hand.