"Ah, yes!" cried the ecstatic Johnny, "put Molly up behind! put Molly up behind and let her sit and hold on to me! My horse can carry double."
"Never mind! I've got something for Molly that she will like better than that," said Ishmael, smiling kindly on the little girl, who stood with her finger in her mouth looking as if she thought herself rather neglected.
And he unlocked his trunk and took from the top of it a large, finely painted, substantially dressed wooden doll, that looked as if it could bear a great deal of knocking about without injury.
Molly made an impulsive spring towards this treasure, and was immediately rendered happy by its possession.
Then Sally was elevated to the seventh heaven by the gift of the coral breastpin.
Hannah received a handsome brown silk dress and Reuben a new writing-desk, and Sam a silver watch, and Jim a showy vest-pattern.
And Ishmael, having distributed his presents, ordered his trunk to be carried upstairs, and the box into the outhouse.
When the children were tired of their play Hannah took them off to hear them say their prayers and put them to bed.
And then Ishmael and Reuben were left alone.
And the opportunity that Ishmael wanted had come.