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260 But she finally surrendered all hope of anything save the mittens and stockings, and determined to ask her father for ten cents with which to buy the sugar. When, at the end of two weeks, Mary Ellen displayed her two plump rolls of butter and told her story, her father stroked her brown hair tenderly as he said: “You are a very resourceful girl, Mary Ellen—very resourceful!”

Mary Ellen did not know exactly what this meant, but she was sure her father was not displeased with her, for he had said the same to her once before—once when she felt sure he had been pleased with her efforts.

It was Saturday, six days before Christmas, when Mary Ellen, proudly carrying her two pounds of butter, set out with Mrs. Metzger for La Junta. Frau Metzger was a kindly, big German woman, childless, and not given to sentimentality; but when she heard the story of the pounds of butter, and learned of the articles Mary Ellen had fondly hoped to buy with the proceeds, she felt a-strange pulling at her heartstrings, and she said:



“And with two pounds of butter and ten cents you would make one bright Christmas for the little ones! Still, I know of one better way. Santa Claus has himself sent me word, asking me to help him this year, already, I will myself hook Charlie one pair of mittens with the woolly wrists. I have at home beautiful red yarn, and I will knit stockings for the little Mädchen—I and the girl Nora. She is most wonderful to knit, You shall buy, with the money, the other things.”

A queen with untold wealth could have felt no richer than did Mary Ellen as she made her purchases. Luscious oranges, great red apples,—four of each instead of two,—candy and peanuts, and plenty of sugar for the cakes.