“It’s no use, brother, it isn’t here,” said Nibby.
“Then we’d better look somewhere else, brother,” said Malkin.
They looked in the coffeepot, and the bread box, and in the oven, and everywhere; but they couldn’t find the handkerchief.
“Oh, dear!” said the Rag-Bone Man. “It’s enough to make a person cry his eyes out, that’s what it is. Oh, what a day I’ve had! What are you going to do now?”
“I’ll tell you,” said Merrimeg. “I left a lot of them in the apple orchard at home, and they’re all dry by now. Let’s go there!”
“Do you think they’re dry?” said the Rag-Bone Man.
“Of course they are!” said Merrimeg. “Come along! Hurry!”
She led them up the ladder, and when they were outside she got into the sack again. The Rag-Bone Man swung her onto his back, and before very long she was dropped to the ground with a bump, and she got out of the sack. They were standing in the apple orchard behind her house, and there on the ground were the handkerchiefs, where the Rag-Bone Man had thrown them.
The Rag-Bone Man picked them up. They were wet.
“Oh, dear! oh, dear!” he cried. “They’re all wet! I knew they wouldn’t be dry! They’re no earthly good! What’ll I do? No handkerchiefs, and all the children running away from me, and—Oh, dear! I’m going to cry again! Oh, what a day I’ve had! What’ll I do? What’ll I do?”