“This doll is for you,” she said gravely, putting a doll attired in a wonderful pink satin costume into Jane’s arms.  “I’ve told her about your dog, and she’s a little frightened, so please be careful.”

“What’s the fun down there now?” asked Joel of Van, who with Percy could not be persuaded to leave his bedside a moment, “open the door, do, and let’s hear it.”

So Van threw wide the door.

“Go out and listen, Percy, will you?” he said.

“I don’t want to,” said Percy, who shared Van’s wish to keep in the background.

“You two fellows act like muffs,” said Joel.  “Now if you want me to get well, go out, do, and tell me what the fun is going on down there.”

So persuaded, the two boys stole out into the hall in time to see Phronsie go down the stairs with her armful, and carefully using their ears they soon rushed back with “Phronsie’s giving away her dolls!”

“Stuff and nonsense!” exclaimed Joel, “if you can’t bring back anything better than that yarn, you might as well stay here.”

“But I tell you it’s true,” declared Van, “isn’t it, Percy?”

“Yes, it is,” said Percy.  “I heard her distinctly say, ’This doll is for you’—­and she had her arms full, so I suppose she’s going to give those away too”—­

“A likely story,” said Joel, bursting into a laugh.  At the noise up in the boys’ room, Mother Fisher ran quickly over the stairs.

“Oh, boys! what is it?  Joel, are you worse?”

“No, indeed,” said Joel, “I was laughing.  Percy and Van have been telling such a big story.  Mamsie, they actually said that Phronsie was giving away her dolls.”

“Is that all?” cried Mrs. Fisher in relief.  “Well, so she is, Joel.”

“Phronsie giving away her dolls, Mamsie?” screamed Joel.  “Why, what does Grandpapa say?”

“He’s the very one that proposed it,” said Mrs. Fisher.  “There, Joey, don’t get excited, for I don’t know what the doctor will say,” as Joel sank back on his pillow, overcome by this last piece of news.

When Phronsie went to bed that night she clasped Mr. King’s new gift to her breast.

“Grandpapa, dear,” she said confidingly as they went up the stairs together, “do you know I really think more of this doll, now that the others are gone?  Really I do, Grandpapa, and I can take better care of her, because I shall have more time.”

“So you will, dear,” assented Mr. King.  “Well, Phronsie, I think you and I, dear, haven’t made a bad day’s work.”

“I think my children will be happy,” said Phronsie with a small sigh, “because you see it’s so nice to make good times for their new mothers.  And, Grandpapa, I couldn’t play with each one more than once a week.  I used to try to, but I couldn’t, Grandpapa.”

“Why didn’t you tell me, Phronsie,” asked the old gentleman a bit reproachfully as they reached the top step, “how it was, dear?  You should have given them away long ago.”