natural child: there was none of the story-book goodness about her.
She was keenly interested in everything that went on. She thought
there was no one like mother, but it was Katy who represented the world
to her,--the world of McNaughton's store, with its brightness and
beautiful wares, and its ever-changing crowd of handsomely costumed
ladies intent upon the pleasures of shopping. Any scrap of news which
one fagged out little cashgirl brought home at the close of the day was
eagerly listened to by the other; who found her enforced idleness so
irksome.

Katy had a great deal to narrate at the close of the day upon which our
story opened. Sitting upon the foot of Ellie's bed, she told how she
upset the pyramid of note-paper; and what trouble she would have been
in, but for the kind lady who so promptly came to the rescue. To
Ellie's quick imagination the story had all the charm of a fairy tale.
And when, at the close, her sister placed in her hands the orange and
the tiny box wherein lay the rose, still quite fresh and fragrant, her
face beamed with delight; and Katy went to bed very happy, feeling
herself more than repaid for having treasured them so carefully.

The next morning, when Katy reached the store, she found everybody in a
state of pleasurable excitement over the opening of the holiday goods;
for it wanted but three weeks to Christmas. At the end of the
stationery counter, where the pyramid of note-paper had been, an
immense stack of dolls was now attractively displayed. The little
cashgirl stood before it, lost in admiration. There were little dolls
and big ones; dolls with blue eyes, and others with brown; some with
light hair, and some with dark; _bebee Jumeau_ and _bebee Brue_; rubber
dolls, and rag dolls with _papier-mache_ faces.