And after this episode they all settled down to the business of shopping at once; all except Ben, who looked here and there for the small girl who had found Polly. She had slipped away in the crowd.
"And we didn't even thank her," said Ben, sorrowfully.
"Well, we must go to some other store and get Phronsie's cat," said Polly, "as long as we can't find her," with a sigh, so they all followed Ben as he made a way for them through the crowd, Phronsie clinging to Polly's hand as if she never meant to let her go again. All at once Ben darted aside, then turned back to Polly. "There she is," he pointed over to the counter where the small girl had her pig and woolly dog once more, taking each up affectionately, then laying it down.
"Well, you can't do that all day," observed the saleswoman, crossly. "Take one, or leave it, or I'll put 'em both up again."
"He'd like 'em both," said the small girl, "my brother would, an' I don't know which."
The saleswoman snatched up the pig and reached out an impatient hand for the woolly dog.
"Oh, Polly, just hear that!" whispered Ben; "she wants them for her brother, and she was so good to us."
"I know it," said Polly. "O dear me, I wish she could get them both."
Ben fumbled in his pocket and brought out his brown leather pocket-book. "You give it to her," he said, putting a silver half-dollar into Polly's hand.
"Oh, whick—!" began Joel, with his big eyes at the half-dollar.