Springing madly to my feet, I started for the offender's room. I encountered a door ajar by the way, my forehead being the first to discover it. I ground my teeth, lit a candle, and said something—no matter what.
"Oh, you said a bad swear!" ejaculated Toddie; "you won't go to heaven when you die."
"Neither will you, if you howl like a little demon all night. Are you going to be quiet, now?"
"Yesh, but I wants my dolly."
"I don't know where your dolly is—do you suppose I'm going to search this entire house for that confounded dolly?"
"'Tain't 'founded. I wants my dolly."
"I don't know where it is. You don't think I stole your dolly, do you?"
"Well, I wants it, in de bed wif me."
"Charles," said I, "when you arise in the morning, I hope your doll will be found. At present, however, you must be resigned and go to sleep. I'll cover you up nicely"; here I began to rearrange the bed clothing, when the fateful dolly, source of all my woes, tumbled out of them. Toddie clutched it, his whole face lighting up with affectionate delight, and he screamed:—
"Oh, dare is my dee dolly; turn to your own papa, dolly, an' I'll love you."