Show eTHE W r THE WOODEN DOLL Once there lived Jived in a musty dusty attic of or an old farmhouse a little wooden doll Her Tier shoes were painted and so were her stockings and her hands were not liko those of the dolls of ot today Sho had lad a thumb on each but the fingers aPts were made all together in one piece of wood Wooden Doll lay in in ina a drawer of ot an anold anold anold old fashioned bureau and beside her was was was' wasa a funny looking looking- fat man made of glass He really was was a bottle and once had held perfume the odor of which had long since gone Many years Wooden Doll and the Bottle Man had lived in the drawer but they seldom saw the light and they seldom spoke to each other of ot their dreary life But one day voices were heard in inthe inthe inthe the hall outside and the Bottle Man said Wooden Doll it may be someone someone some some- one Is us for he tie was al always always always al- al ways hopeful But no one opened the drawer where lay the Wooden Doll and the Bottle Man I I Oh Ohl It is dreadful to think about about I sighed Wooden Doll as the voices died away and all was still again and andI I used to be so much admired admired and I now no one sees me I II know I need needa a q new dress I have not had one for over fifty years I am sure you ou looking charming as asI you OU are now said the Bottle ManI Man I 1 remember the last time this drawer I was opened I thought you looked very pretty in your yellow lace and pale IM p Ul ress Yellow lace and pale pale pink exclaimed exclaimed exclaimed ex ex- claimed Wooden Doll why Bottle BottleMan BottleMan BottleMan Man you ou are arc color blind my dress Is pink very pink indeed and the lace is quite white I a assure sure you Perhaps I 1 was mistaken said the Bottle Man I have been shut up here hereso so long I expect my old eyes do not see things quite right but you looked very sweet and pretty of that I am quite sure I expect we are aie much better off oft here went on the Bottle Man 1 tor torI I suspect times have changed since our day and we might not be looked upon just as we were then Just then they heard voices and someone came into the room I r know v I II I I I kept that little dolly doIly and It must be I here lere somewhere said a voice As And nd then the drawer of the bureau I w was opened Here it is said the voice and Wooden Doll DolI was lifted out Oh isn't it a funny little dC doll I. I said another voice Oh l look at her hands and how yellow the tho lace is on her dress and bonnet Yes Yes and her dress is all aU faded said the first voice it was once once bright pink I 1 thought her ver very beautiful when I had her given iven to m me sixty years ago Ah I Iwas was right after all thought the Bottle Man 1 Her lIer dress is a pale pink You may have her if you wish my dear said the first voice her name is Priscilla she certainly does look curious to me now now- Oh I shall love to have her for tor my cabinet I have many c curious rious looking things but Priscilla will be the mo most t curious of all I am sure few have seen such a queer wooden doll outside outside outside out out- side a museum Wooden Doll found herself soon after in a pretty gilt cab cabinet I et with many queer and strange strang-e things and she learned that all the Bottle Man had said was true she was no longer longerI admired she was looked upon as a I curiosity and she sighed and wished herself back in the drawer beside Reside the Bottle Man But Wooden Doll remained in the cabinet and thought the Bottle Man thought of her he never wished himself himself himself him him- self beside her He lie was quite content to live in the drawer in the attic and dream of the days gone by Copyright 1917 1317 by the McClure li Newspaper Syndicate |