d wood and peat
were sold. But the Twins couldn't find anything they wanted that cost
exactly two cents.

At last, what should they see but Vrouw Van der Kloot's fat face
smiling at them from a stall just full of cakes and cookies and bread,
and chocolate, and honey cakes, and goodies of all kinds.

The Twins held up their money.

There on the counter was a whole row of St. Nicholas dolls with currant
eyes, and they knew at once that there was nothing else in all the
market they should like so much!

"Do these cost two cents apiece, dear Vrouw Van der Kloot?" asked Kat.

"No," said Vrouw Van der Kloot; "they cost one cent apiece."

The Twins were discouraged.

"I don't believe there's a single thing in this whole market that costs
just two cents," said Kat.

"Keep still!" said Kit. "Let me think."

They sat down on the curb. Kat kept still, and Kit took hold of his
head with both hands and thought hard. He thought so hard that he
scowled all over his forehead!

"I tell you what it is, Kat," he said at last. "If those St. Nicholas
dolls cost one cent apiece, I _think_ we could get two of them for two
cents."

"O Kit," said Kat, "how splendidly you can think! Does it hurt you
much? Let's ask Vrouw Van der Kloot."

They went back to the good Vrouw, who was selling some coffee bread to
a woman with a basket.

"O Vrouw Van der Kloot," said Kat, "Kit says that if those St. Nicholas
dolls cost one cent apiece, he _thinks_ we could get two for two cents.
Do you think so?"

"Of course you can," said Vrouw Van der Kloot; and she winked at the
lady with the bread.

"But you've got two cents, and I've got two," said Kat to Kit. "If you
should get two Nicholas dolls, why, I should have my two cents left;
shouldn't I? Oh! dear, it won't come out right anyway!"

"Let me think some more," said Kit; and when he had thought some more,
he said,

"I'll tell you what let's! You get two with your two cents, and I'll
get two with mine! And I'll give my other one to Mother and you can
give your other one to Father!"

"That's just what we'll do," said Kat.

They went back to Vrouw Van der Kloot.

"We'll take _four_ dolls," said Kat.

"Well, well, well!" said the Vrouw. "So you've figured it all out, have
you?" And she counted out the dolls--"One for Kit, and one for Kat, and
one for Father, and one for Mother, and an extra one for good measure!"

"O Kit, she's given us one more!" said Kat. "Let's eat it right now!