hink
hard of her sister.

"We must have Lady Jane. I don't see how we can get along without her,"
added Flora, a little puzzled by the silence of Nellie.

"I don't like to ask Katy," said Nellie, at last.

"Why not? She will let you have her. Of _course_ she will let you have
her," added Flora, warmly.

"I don't think she will. You know we might break her neck, or lose off
her legs or arms; or we might dirty her white silk dress."

"But we will be very careful. Let us go and ask her. It won't do any
harm to ask her, you know. She can't do any more than refuse."

Nellie did not like to be refused, and she tried to prevent Flora from
going any farther in the matter. She was sorry to have it appear that
her sister was selfish, and she thought more of this than she did of
being refused.

Flora said so much that at last she thought Katy might let her have the
doll, and they ran down stairs to the sitting room, to have the matter
settled.

"Will you lend us your dolly, Katy?" asked Nellie, and the tones of her
voice showed how doubtful she was of the result of the question.

"What dolly do you mean?" asked Katy.

"Your wax dolly--Lady Jane."

"I am very sure I shall not," replied Katy.

"We will be very careful of her," added Flora. "We won't let her be
hurt a bit--you may depend on that."

"I'm not going to let you have my dolly to break and spoil--I'm sure I
shall not," said Katy; who even seemed to be angry because she was
asked.

"But don't I say we won't hurt it a bit?" continued Flora. "And when you
come over to my house, you shall have my dolly just as long as you want
her; and her house too, and all the chairs and tables and things."

"I don't want them."

"Do please to let us have Lady Jane," teased Nellie. "We want her ever
so much; and I know she won't get broken or dirty. Please to lend her to
us, Katy."

"I shan't do any such thing; so it's no use to tease me. Why don't you
play with your own dollies? I won't lend Lady Jane--that's flat."

Nellie felt so bad she could not help crying,--not because she could not
have the doll, but because her sister was so harsh and unkind. She would
not have cared so much if Flora had not been there, for she did not like
to have her see her sister behave in this manner.

Poor Flora wanted to cry, too, when she saw how badly Nellie felt; but
she tried to be brave, and placed her arm round her friend's neck, as if
to let her know that she would be kind to h