"It'll have to be ingenious shopping this year, Denis," Nell said.
He tapped his brow. "Here's an idea now! Surely in big toy shops some of the toys must get broken! Eh? Here's the shopper. We'll buy the broken toys, and I'll mend 'em. See, I'll turn carpenter for the nonce! Oh, we'll drive wonderful bargains between us! What a head I've got!"
The next afternoon they set forth. The first toy shop they came to was a large and fashionable one. Molly elected to wait outside, but the others marched gaily in.
A tall and smiling damsel came gliding towards them, but at Denis's debonair request for damaged toys, the smile froze, and the damsel informed him coldly that it was not a second-hand shop.
He smiled blandly, and responded that he could see that, but had thought that even in such an elegant emporium things must occasionally be broken.
"We'll relieve you of tailless horses, armless and legless dolls, sailless ships, funnelless engines, neckless giraffes, humpless camels, trunkless elephants, even noseless tapirs," he ended with a flourish.
The damsel's eye gleamed coldly.
"I conclude when things are broken they are thrown away," she observed with haughty nonchalance.
He searched his pockets; his face was very grave.
"Ah, I have not a tract with me bearing on this subject. But, my dear young lady, it is a subject very near my heart. Waste! Ah, 'Waste not, want not!' You have heard the wise old proverb? Waste! In thy name how many sins are committed, daily, hourly, minutely! Think of empty little arms—outstretched, clamoring—empty—while the dust-bin is full! Think of armless dolls smiling in the midst of decayed vegetables! Trunkless elephants sleeping in dust! And they might be hushed on happy little bosoms!"