le a more important customer had come in with whom the
assistant was busy, so Molly went over to her and handed her the
sixpence.

"We will have two dips," she said.

"Thank you. Did you say you would have three yards, madam?" she asked,
turning to the lady customer.

_Molly's Purchases_

"You dip first," said Julia.

Molly looked from the flat parcels to the three-cornered ones and
could not decide which to choose.

"I think I will shut my eyes," she said, and she put in her hand at
random and pulled out a small, flat parcel. She opened it eagerly, and
took out a block of black paper, to be used as a slate, and a pencil
with which to write on it. She was sadly disappointed, and felt very
much like crying.

"It is a horrid thing," said Julia. "We don't want a paper slate when
you have that nice blackboard. You were very silly to shut your eyes.
I shall choose with my eyes open. I am going to take that package that
looks as if it might be a doll."

She took out the enticing-looking package and began to untie the
string, and presently drew forth a pink-and-white-and-green china vase
of a hideous shape. It was too large for dolls, and too small for
people, and too ugly to please either.

"That dip is perfectly horrid," said Julia.

Molly was sure that she had never been so unhappy. She knew, now that
it was too late, that she wanted the paper doll furniture more than
anything in the whole world. The little girls were very sober all the
way home. When they reached Molly's gate, Julia handed over the vase.

"Take the old thing," she said. "You have got something to remember
Priscilla by always now, and you can send the paper slate to her."

"Well, what did you buy, dear?" her mamma asked cheerfully, as Molly
came into the parlour.

The little girl found it hard to keep back her tears. Her Aunt Mary
and her brother Fred were sitting there, too. She felt it would have
been easier to confess her folly to her mother alone.

She held up the vase and the paper block silently.

"The block was a sensible choice," said her mamma, "but I don't see
why you chose the vase."

"I didn't choose either of them," Molly burst out. "We dipped and we
got them."

"In short, they chose you," said Fred.

Then the little girl told the whole story. "I _did_ want the paper
doll furniture so much," she ended.

"Why didn't you buy it, then?" asked her aunt.

"Because we thought it would be more fun to dip."

"This will be