And Jeff certainly had the China Cat.
Jeff's eyes sparkled with delight as he pressed the toy up under his
blouse, out of sight, and then he darted away from the pile of toys, on
the sidewalk--toys that had hastily been carried out of the burning
store.
"Hi, golly! I's done gone fool dat p'liceman," murmured Jeff, as he
stepped off the sidewalk and made his way out of the crowd in front of
the burning store. "He tole me to keep away from dem toys! But I sneaks
up when he isn't lookin', an' I gits de bestest toy ob all! Golly! I's
smarter dan a p'liceman, I is!"
Jeff grinned, showing two rows of white teeth in his black face. Indeed,
Jeff's teeth were the only clean things about him, it seemed. At least
they were white, though I can not say that he ever used a tooth brush.
His teeth were as white as was the China Cat when she was her very
cleanest. But she was not at all clean now. And you know how unhappy
this made her feel.
There was so much excitement now in front of Mr. Mugg's toy shop, with
the fire, the smoke, the water, the fire engines, the firemen and the
police, to say nothing of the crowd that had gathered, that no one paid
any attention to Jeff. Away he sneaked, with the China Cat under his
blouse.
"I's smart, I is!" said Jeff to himself, grinning. "I could 'a' tooken a
lot ob toys; but I liked dis Cat bestest ob all.
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