Huntley found a jack-knife that was just the thing Ned
wanted. Then she said to her husband:
"I'd like to buy something for Mamie. It will be nice to buy a girl's
present."
Their hearts ached a little, as they chose a wonderful little wash-tub
and board, with a clothes-horse to match. How Polly's eyes would have
shone at these!
Meantime, Ned mused over his mother's tears and her strangely kind
tones, and thought: "I wonder if she's going to be as good to me as
she was to Polly! I hated to hear Mamie talk about Santa Claus. Polly
used to talk just that way, and we did have such good times. I used to
get skates and things at Christmas, but now I get some handkerchiefs
or a lot of shirts! It makes me mad." Then Ned fell asleep, and so
the mother found him. She woke him gently and he went off to bed,
bewildered by more kind words.
Morning dawned and Ned hurried down to light the fire in the kitchen,
but he went no further than the sitting-room. There was a sled,--a
splendid one,--a pair of skates, and books! He put his hands in his
pockets to take a long stare, and felt something strange in one of
them.
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