"Oh! I've spent nearly the whole dollar and I haven't but nine presents yet. We must get something cheaper.—But they were so pretty!" she lamented, her eyes glancing longingly towards the articles she had selected.
"Let's see. Maybe, you have made a mistake," said Livingstone. He took the bit of paper and she handed him the pencil.
"I'm not very good at making figures," she observed.
"I'm not either," said Livingstone, glancing at the paper. "I'll tell you what let's do," he said. "Let's get Mr. Brown to open all his cases and boxes, and let's look at everything and just see what we would select if we could have our choice?"
The little girl's eyes opened wide.
"You mean, let's make pretense that we are real sure-enough Santa Claus and just pick out everything we want to give everybody, and pretend that we could get it and give it to them?"
Livingstone nodded.
"Yes."
That was just what he ought to have meant, he knew.
The inquiry in Kitty's big eyes became light. She sprang to her feet and with a little squeak of delight marched to the middle of the shop and taking her stand began to sweep the shelves with her dancing eyes.