“Oh, Sammie! He’s bought it!” cried a girl’s voice.
“Who’s bought what?” asked her brother.
“The rich man has bought the big Woolly Dog from Mrs. Clark,” answered Lizzie. “I saw her take it out of the window and a man has it.”
“He has? Well, I’ll buy one like it some day when I get rich!” joked Sammie. “Hey, Timmie,” he went on, calling to another boy, “come on over. I know where there’s a dandy mud puddle!”
Mr. Blakeley, unaware of all the stir he had caused in that poor Hoyt Street by buying so costly a toy, kept on to his office. He was a very important man in business and he found clerks, secretaries and stenographers waiting for him to start the day’s affairs.
But, first of all, after he had taken off his hat, Mr. Blakeley handed to his private secretary the bundle he had brought from Mrs. Clark’s store.
“Take good care of that,” said the rich man to his secretary, Miss Moore. “There’s a dog in it!”
“A dog, Mr. Blakeley? Oh——”
“Yes,” he chuckled. “But don’t be afraid. He can’t bite! Wait, I’ll show him to you.”
He opened one end of the paper parcel and let the Woolly Dog be seen.