"you are very kind."

As he went off, she turned to Florence and said in a low tone, "I didn't
like to ask him for two boxes, but I will give you the cards."

"No matter," said Florence. "I don't care very much for a box."

However, when the man returned he had two boxes with four pretty cards
in each.

"Thank you so much," said the girls, highly pleased.

"He is a real nice man," said Florence, when they were in the street. "I
didn't believe he would think of me."

"Yes, I think he is nice," said Dimple; "besides he has known me ever
since I was a baby; he mightn't be so nice to a stranger."

They next came to a little low brown building with one window. As they
went in at the door, a small bell over it tinkled and a voice said, "In
a minute."

While they waited they looked about the shop, which was quite a
curiosity to Florence. In the window were jars of candy, red and white,
gingerbread horses, shoestrings, oranges, lemons, and dolls strung along
in a line, the largest in the middle and the smallest at each end;
besides these there were tops, whistles, writing paper, pencils, scrap
pictures, and a variety of other things, all jumbled up together.
Inside, the glass case and the shelves were full, and from the ceiling
hung rolls of cotton in tissue paper, toy wagons, jumping-jacks and
hoops.

"What a funny place," whispered Florence; but just then a funnier old
woman came in. Her face looked like a withered apple, it was so wrinkled
and rosy; her eyes were bright and her grey hair was combed back under a
high white cap. As she came behind the counter, Florence saw that one of
her hands was very much scarred, and the fingers bent. She wondered what
had happened to it.

"Well, little Dallas girl, it's you, is it? And how is my pretty with
her dimples and curls? Hm! Hm! Hm! The little Dallas girl," said the
old woman.

"Mamma wants four lemons, Mrs. Wills," said Dimple.

"Four lemons; four--four--" said the old woman, going to a box and
taking them out.

"And she wants to know if you have any fresh eggs?"

"Fresh eggs. Hm! Hm! Fresh eggs. How many? I'll see."

"A dozen if you have them."

"Well, we'll have to go and find them, little girls. Who is the other
little girl?"

"My cousin," said Dimple.

"A Dallas?"

"No; her name is Florence Graham."

"Graham, Graham. A Dallas and a Graham. Come you two, then, and we'll
see if we can find any eggs."

They followed Mrs. Wills through the back room