Nellie looked up blankly.
“I know you’ll want to give her something,” Sara went on, “and I was thinking of a nice chair. What do you think of that?”
“A chair!” repeated Nellie in astonishment. “Why, I wouldn’t buy a chair for myself!”
Sara sighed. “But you would like the fun of buying one for somebody else, wouldn’t you?”
“Well, I ain’t got any money,” the girl said uneasily; and then Miss Wharton unfolded her plan, which was that she should give Nellie five dollars, and Nellie would add what she could, and a present should be purchased.
“Add something, if it’s only a dollar,” Sara said pleadingly; “a good, comfortable chair can be bought for six dollars.”
“A’ right; I don’t mind,” Nellie agreed, in a wearied way. She did not understand all this talk; she saw no reason in Miss Sara’s giving Mrs. Sherman a chair, and saying it was Nellie’s gift; still, she didn’t mind.
“You’ll like to do that, won’t you, Nellie?” Sara said anxiously.
“Oh, certainly,” said Nellie, and then she rose, for Miss Wharton was silent, and that seemed a sign of dismissal.
Sara rose, too, and stood looking at her visitor for a moment; then, suddenly she put her arm around the little thin shoulders, and drew the girl to her, and kissed her. “Oh, Nellie,” she said, her voice passionate and trembling,—“Oh, Nellie, dear! I—I wish I knew what to say, to show you—to make you feel”—her voice broke; Nellie was greatly embarrassed;—“but just believe I love you, won’t you? and be good!”