Then Nelly saw the tears come in Mrs. Williams's eyes: her lips quivered, and she said:—
"My own little girl is in heaven; but this doll is for a little girl I love very much, who looks like my little girl. Run in, dear, and see what you can find."
The shopkeeper looked quite surprised to see such a little girl coming up to the counter, and asking if he had any big wax dolls with eyes which would open.
"Yes, sis," he said, "we have two; but they cost too much money for you, I reckon."
Nelly did not like being called "sis."
"My name is not sis," she said, "and the doll is for a sick lady out in the carriage. Won't you please bring them out for her to look at?" and Nelly turned, and walked out of the shop.
"Hoity toity!" said the man. "What airs we put on, don't we, for small fry! Eastern folks, I reckon;" but he went to a drawer, and took out his two wax dolls, and carried them to the carriage. Each doll was in a box by itself. One was dressed in pink satin, and one in white muslin.
"Which is the prettiest, Nelly?" said Mrs. Williams.
"Oh, the one in white muslin,—ever so much the prettiest! My mamma says satin is very silly on dolls, and I think so too. Mrs. Napoleon had a blue satin dress, and I gave it to Mabel Martin. She never wore it but once,—the day she came; she had it on when she was in the stocking; but I hated it on her."
"In the stocking!" said Mrs. Williams; "that big doll never went into a stocking. What do you mean?"