"May I really have all I want?" she said. "Are they not of any use?"
"Only to little girls," said Mr. Kleesman: "sometimes to a boy; but not often a boy; mostly it is for little girls; they are my goot customers."
Nelly picked out six. She did not like to take more, though she would have liked the whole pile. Mr. Kleesman stood watching her.
"Vy not you take more as dem?" he said.
"I am afraid there will not be enough for the other little girls," replied Nelly.
Mr. Kleesman laughed and shook till his white beard went up and down.
"Look you here," he said, and pointed behind the door. There was another pile, twice as big as the one which Nelly was examining.
"Oh, my!" said Nelly: "what a lot! I'll take a few more, I guess."
"I gif you myself. You haf too modest," said the old gentleman. And he picked up two big handfuls of the cups, and threw them into Nelly's basket. Then he sprang to a big brick stove which there was in the room, and opened its iron door and looked in. A fiery heat filled the room, as he opened the door.
"Oh!" said Nelly, "I wondered what made it so hot in here. Why do you have a fire in such hot weather?" she said.