Show s i I a Evell Evel vei lf l f airy iry T Tale le leTHE len j 3 n GRAHAM BONNEA THE LACE DOLL Beatrice had never never ne before been to a big Iff cIt city It was a great event when her ber father rather and mother told her f f A they were going to toI I take her for tor a visit with them to a avery avery very cry v very e r y b big I J place Beatrice packed her bag bag n a little straw bag which Santa Claus Glaus had given to her the Christmas before It was such a anice anice anice nice straw stra bag I very cry light and easy to carry and yet It held quite a II Beatrice Packed d good deal too too too- Her Bag Bap particularly so fo If you pushed everything everything every every- thing In hard enough The bag was of green gleen and tan straw and nd this was the first time It had been taken away awny on a trip Beatrice began packing a week before before be be- fore tore but she kept putting more and more things In each day until the bag bar was very queer looking with Its sides bulging out In all directions And And then she didn't have all all the things In the bile really needed at all So the day before they started she took everything out and and packed all allover allover allover over again Of course her r rag g doll had to go along and so did the toy monkey but she decided to leave the rest of ot her dolls at t home There was war no room forth for forthe th the them m and they were a Utile little too young to be taken on on suc such a trip after all The They could go later she told them when when they mere were ere older They were very good about It too They didn't act disappointed or sulky In the least Then she put In her little rubber bag with a toothbrush and sponge and and all the little things things' she needed every nh night ht end every morning Her e brush bl and comb comb oh oh there were a number of or these thes odds and ends which Beatrice knew must be taken along There was her best dress and hat but her roo mother her had said she would take those So Beatrice put handkerchiefs and stockings and little things In her bag At last they reach reached d the big city It was as the strangest strange t place In tn the world There were Just lust crowds and crowds of ot str streets ets and and cars and ro motors tors and people all the time At night there was a n constant noise a a queer humming sound q quite unlike the sounds of ot the tile crickets and the owls and the leaves lea of the trees swishing and laughing as the they thought of ot things to sa say to each other The rhe next d day y they went shopping The shops shops too were crowded And Ben Beatrice trice began to feel teel homesick for forthe forthe forthe the country and h her r own friends and the places she knew But Hut now her mother said they were going to visit a toy shop It was a dream shop Beatrice had Actually to to pinch herself to make sure that she wasn't asleep There was everything In this shop There were all the toys one could more be be- ever fr think of ot and so 80 many sides Ides But of all the wonderful toys a n little doll a tiny china doll with a n dress made of ot china lace filled her heart with longing Oh If It she could own that doll she would be perfectly perfectly happy happ al al- al ways She stood looking at It not noticing that she had hod forgotten to follow tollow her her- mother who had gone one to look at tome some bigger dolls a And then something something something some some- thing more wonderful won won- f than uny any d dream r e a 11 m happened to herA her A A kindly kindlY- man Dlan i looked town down at ather ather ather her her and nd said Little girl do you II like k e et t that hat doll Oh Oil I 1 till think Its It's the tile most beautiful thing Ive I've ever er seen In all my life lite She ghe gheI St Stood d LookIng Look Look- I 1 u adore lore It Ing at It r o 0 ud Maybe MalJe y 1 like me to own own Il It the kindly man f said I Oh Im Im I'm sure ur Its It's so tiO bea beautiful h I dollars and dollars n must cot cost INo No o. Its It's not so very ery expensive expensive It It 11 li t i rather unusual unusual but but It needn't be ex expensive ex pensive at nt all ull Il Ill IU give It to you But how haw can you give h. h It t to met mel melAre Are you ou so 50 very ery very ery rich 1 I own this sh shop p the kindly man loan children i 1 said laid and I 1 think I know kno know the little china chInn lace doll will always al al- with you fon ISO 50 It la It W ways he Lie happy yours yon l |