Mr. Ruck, with his hands in his pockets, gave me a sociable wink.--
"There's nothing much you can tell them!" he said.

The two ladies stood face to face a few moments, surveying each
other's garments. "Don't you want to go out?" the young girl at last
inquired of her mother.

"Well, I think we had better; we have got to go up to that place."

"To what place?" asked Mr. Ruck.

"To that jeweller's--to that big one."

"They all seemed big enough; they were too big!" And Mr. Ruck gave
me another wink.

"That one where we saw the blue cross," said his daughter.

"Oh, come, what do you want of that blue cross?" poor Mr. Ruck
demanded.

"She wants to hang it on a black velvet ribbon and tie it round her
neck," said his wife.

"A black velvet ribbon? No, I thank you!" cried the young lady. "Do
you suppose I would wear that cross on a black velvet ribbon? On a
nice little gold chain, if you please--a little narrow gold chain,
like an old-fashioned watch-chain. That's the proper thing for that
blue cross. I know the sort of chain I mean; I'm going to look for
one. When I want a thing," said Miss Ruck, with decision, "I can