two little girls exchanged silver
sixpences. Each wished to have a remembrance of the other.

_Molly's Start_

Molly meant to keep Priscilla's sixpence always, but she had not been
at home many days before she received a letter from her cousin that
altered her intentions. Molly's mamma read it aloud.

* * * * *

"DEAR MOLLY,--I miss you very much. I cried the day you went, for it
was so lonely. I have spent your sixpence. I meant to get pink and
blue and yellow tissue paper, but Guy Fawkes Day came and I got
fireworks instead. They are all gone now, but it was fun while they
lasted. They made a splendid noise. I like crackers.

"Please get something to remember me by on my birthday. As I have
spent your sixpence, I want you to spend mine, and then we shall be
even. My birthday is the eighth of December. I wish you were my
sister. Your loving cousin,

"PRISCILLA DRAYTON."

* * * * *

"It is the eighth of December to-day, Molly dear," said Mrs Benson.

"Then I think I had better go and look round the shops."

"You will find a great variety of things at Fletcher's," said her
mamma; "and if you like, you may go there all by yourself like a
grown-up person."

This pleased Molly, and she put on her brown hat and started out with
a little shopping bag that her Aunt Ruth had given her last Christmas.
Her small purse was in the bottom holding her silver sixpence. Just as
she reached the gate, she saw Julia Harding coming out of the big
house opposite.

"Where are you going, Molly?" Julia asked. "I was coming over to play
with you."

"I am going to do some shopping," said Molly.

"What are you going to buy?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know what you are going to buy?"

"It may be tissue paper, or it may be paper dolls' furniture, or it
may be a new dress for Sylvia or Jane, but whatever it is, it must
cost just sixpence."

Then Molly told Julia the story of the exchange of the silver
sixpences.

"I should get sweets if it were mine," said Julia, "and then we could
eat some."

"But I don't want to eat up my lovely present," said Molly.

_Molly's Perplexities_

Fletcher's was a delightful shop. It had almost everything in it that
anyone could want. In fact it was so full of charming things that it
was hard to make a choice.

Molly's eyes were fascinated by a card full of paper-doll patterns,
and their pretty blue, red, and white dre