Alice Hale Burnett

“ Look!" he added in a low voice, "there goes Herbie's mother into the store. Let's see what she buys."
"Hello, Daddy," greeted both the boys, as old Mr. Williams, with his white hair, red cheeks and dancing blue eyes, came to the doorway of the shop and smiled at them.
"Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas!" he replied. "Have you been good boys?"
"I should say we have," cried Toad. "Everybody's good before Christmas."
"Well, run along home then, and I'll tell your mas just what you want," promised Daddy. "Herbie's ma's in here now and she doesn't want you boys to know what she buys." ”

“ Then when you give it a punch it comes back to you with a bang."
"Well, I'd rather have a football; then maybe we could get up a regular team," remarked Toad.
"I'll bet all those reals would cost about ten dollars," ventured the other, pointing to a box of marbles toward the front of the window. "If I was rich I'd buy them." ”