She looked about the hall for something to tie him to, and saw papa's overcoat on the hat-tree. The buttons on the back of it were just within her reach.
"There! Sambo must be tied till he is a good boy," said she, winding the ends of his tiny scarf round one of the buttons.
Then, leaving the poor doll hanging by his neck, she danced off to the kitchen to tease Bridget for "two big plums."
Pretty soon Papa Haynes came out of the sitting-room to go down town. It was rather dark in the hall, and he put on his overcoat without seeing the doll. Next he drew on his gloves, and walked briskly into the street with Sambo bobbing up and down from the button at his back.
It was funny enough! One little boy laughed so hard that he rolled off the doorstep. Some school-children on the corner shouted, and clapped their hands. Papa Haynes wondered what all the noise was about. He could n't see anything to laugh at.
He might have gone on right through the village with Sambo's yellow legs dancing a jig behind him, if the minister had n't called to him.
"Sir?" said papa, wheeling in front of the minister's gate so suddenly that the doll bounced against him.
"Why, what is this?" he went on, reaching his hand behind his back.
"Something that belongs to Weezy, I fancy," laughed the minister, unwinding Sambo's scarf.
When Papa Haynes saw the doll he could n't help laughing too.