Julia rushed to her post.  The man was upon the point of paying for the doll, and had decided that he would take the parcel with him.

“Have you seen the brown-eyed dolls?” she interposed, pleasantly.  The other girl scowled at the interference with ‘her sale,’ but she persisted.  “The brown-eyed ones are considered the most desirable.”

“Are they?” the man hesitated.  “Well, I believe I’ll take one, then, instead of this.  My little maid likes brown eyes.”

Katy’s doll was saved.  The child, in a fever of suspense, had watched the transaction from behind a pile of dry-goods.  Now she turned toward her friend a face bright with gratitude, as she hurried away in response to the imperative call of “Cash.”

When Julia recovered from her flurry, she explained matters to her associate.  The girl’s ill-humor quickly vanished once she understood the situation, and she willingly agreed to help retain the doll if possible.

III

On the morning of the day before Christmas, Katy appeared at the counter and offered the twenty-two cents which she had succeeded in getting together—­the balance to be paid on her present.

“Can’t I take the doll now, please?” she begged.

“You will have to ask the floor-walker,” replied Julia.

She did so, but he said she must wait until evening; he could not make any exceptions.  So she was obliged to control her impatience.

Scarcely five minutes afterward a crash was heard.  The equilibrium of the rack of dolls had been disturbed, and the whole collection was dashed to the floor.  Fortunately, only three or four of the dolls were broken; but, alas! among them was the one Katy had set her heart upon giving to her sick sister.

The commotion brought her to the scene at once.  Poor Katy!  She did not burst out crying, as Julia expected; but just clasped her hands and stood looking at the wreck of the doll, with an expression of hopeless disappointment, which would have seemed ludicrous, considering the cause, had it not been so pathetic.  It aroused the ready sympathy of Julia.

“Don’t feel so bad, midget!” she whispered, picking up the pieces.  “See:  only the head is spoiled.  There’s another with the feet knocked off.  I’ll get permission to take the two dolls up to the toy-mender’s room, and have the head of the other put on your doll; that will make it as good as new.”

When order was restored, she made her request of the floor-walker.

“All right,” he answered.  “It will cut down the loss by ninety-seven cents; so you may have it done, if they can spare the time upstairs.  That is an awkward corner, anyhow; it will have to be left free in future.”

At noon Julia snatched a few moments from the short interval allowed her to get her lunch, and hurried up to the toy-mender’s quarters.  She prevailed upon him to have the doll repaired in the course of an hour or two; he promised to do so, and it was sent back to her early in the afternoon.