“Yes, I do, very much indeed,” whispered Phronsie again, nodding her yellow head at every word.
“That’s a good child,” repeated the old gentleman. “Well now, Phronsie, I must show you where I keep the shoes for other little girls who are good an’ come in to buy ’em,” and he set her gently on the floor.
All this time Joel and David had plastered their faces in among the rows of shoes and rubbers dangling from strings running across the shop-window, to see the passers-by in the narrow street, an occupation of which they were never tired, but now hearing old Mr. Beebe and Phronsie opening drawers and undoing little boxes, the two boys deserted their perch in the window and ran across the little shop.
“Oh, let me,” cried Joel, throwing himself into the centre of operations,—“let me, Mr. Beebe, take ’em out,” while little David edged up on the other side of Phronsie just as eagerly.
“Softly—softly,” said the old gentleman; “take care there, Joel, you mustn’t touch ’em till I tell you to—” as Joel seized a small pair of shiny black slippers out of a box.
“Oh, can’t I see ’em?” begged Joel, dreadfully disappointed, and having a hard time to keep the tears back.
“Maybe,” said old Mr. Beebe, “but I’m going to show Phronsie some of ’em first, an’ she’s goin’ to help me fit ’em if any little girl comes in to buy.”
“Oh, may I help you to fit shoes?” screamed Joel, with very red cheeks, and even Davie cried out too, “Oh, please, dear Mr. Beebe, let us help you fit shoes.”
The old gentleman burst into such a merry fit of laughter at this that even Phronsie, although she didn’t in the least know what it was all about, laughed and clapped her hands in glee, Joel and David whirling all around the two, begging and teasing so that old Mrs. Beebe left the little apple turnovers she was filling and ran out into the small shop, her spectacles pushed up to her cap border. “Gracious me, Pa,” she exclaimed, “I thought some of ’em was hurt.”
“There ain’t no one hurt, only me, Ma,” said old Mr. Beebe, shaking and chuckling and wiping his eyes, “There—there, boys, maybe I’ll let you help me. I d’no but Phronsie’s goin’ to—leastways, if there’s a little girl comes in with her Ma for a new pair of shoes.”