"It may be tissue paper, or it may be paper dolls' furniture, or it may be a new dress for Sylvia or Jane, but whatever it is, it must cost just sixpence."
Then Molly told Julia the story of the exchange of the silver sixpences.
"I should get sweets if it were mine," said Julia, "and then we could eat some."
"But I don't want to eat up my lovely present," said Molly.
Molly's Perplexities
Fletcher's was a delightful shop. It had almost everything in it that anyone could want. In fact it was so full of charming things that it was hard to make a choice.
Molly's eyes were fascinated by a card full of paper-doll patterns, and their pretty blue, red, and white dresses. There was a back and a front view of each little girl, to be cut out and pasted together so as to make a complete person. There were also on the same card a tennis racket and a hoop and a dear little doll's carriage for the rag-doll children to play with, and a shopping-bag and a green watering-pot. Molly was afraid that these children and their outfit would cost a great deal of money, and that she could not afford to buy them.
"How much are they?" she shyly asked the girl behind the counter.
"Sixpence-halfpenny a card. They are very cheap, for they came from Germany. Would you like one?"
Molly shook her head. "I only have sixpence," she answered with a sigh.