The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-04-30

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Ono pound of rags a year." said the rag
baby.
"Ihat is reasonable enough. Can yo'
come right away2"
"Ycs. Where to, sir?"
Then the ginoei brend man named III
little country village on the banks OF III
Hudson where Mollie lived.
"Oh. dearv' cried the rag-baby. "Oh
my! / never could 70 thers-I won't take
place in the country. sir-na not for Z
ond."
But why not2'. pleaded Aollie. 'It's AZ
awful nice place"
Tho rng-baby stopped and appeared &c
think deeply for a minute. and then she
asked:
d you have winter thsrs?"
'Of course" said Nc lie.
"Then l can't possibly Gomez the rag
baby said, rising from her chair. snd
started 10 walk away. my cousin had a
place in the county once whore they had
winter. and she was left out Of doors one
night. and it showed, and she was kept
under a %snowbank all winter. No, thank
you. l prefer cities. where nothing worse
than having a house fall on You ever hap
pens. If q house fell OH me l might get
from under 1t inside of a month, but snow
drifts keep you down all WINTER"
So the rag baby went off. too. and Mollie
began to despair. 1t was the little girls
first experience with an intelligence office.
and che had never dreamed that good toys
were SO hard to get.
mamma has time to get me something"
she said. sadly.
mot q bit of it," said Ginger. Don't
DO discouraged. Mr.. Hockey Pokey has a
window full of very choice toys that We
haven't seen vet"
stlh tp3anS -.nps -a:1 ar. - n
key. 0 course. this isn't the season for
our best toys. Most of our finest toys have
already got employment. but I've no
doubt Miss Mollie can be suited vet.
Jaoky. bring me in the Universal Ele-
phant."
The what?" said Mollie.
"Ihe Universal Elephant" said Mr.. Ho-
key Pokey. H has just been discharged
from q big circus up in the country. be-
cause he complained about the quality of
the nay they gave him to eat. but he is a
very servioeable and faithful toy just the
same"
what is his speciality 2" asked Ginger.
You can take off his head and see what
Is inside of him" said Mr.. Hockey Pokey,
is why We call him the Universal
Elephant. he has so many things inside of
him.. Every boy that ever went to see him
at the circus gave him something. and he
used to swallow everything just as if it
were q peanut. l took off his head last
week just to test his value and found a
buttonhook. a lemonade glass. dozen
china alleys and q straw hat inside OF him.
This week l tested him again and found a
music box that played three tunes. a eouple
of tennis balls. q small postman's whistle !
a pair of olp overshoes. He is the
most wonderful elephant for holding things
l ever saw"
II don't blame him for Directing to hay
for dinner, If he was fed on valuable things
like that occasionally" said Ginger. What
pay does he want?"
Nine hundred dollars a day." said
Hockey Pokey. He's worth that az a treas
ury Of queer things"
I'VE can't afford him." said Ginger.
monkey"
"Yss. Everything l nave is in the way
Of my monkey" said Mr.. Hickey Pokey.
That's why he's always upsetting things.
Would you like to hire him? He's the best
worker l know OF, but he will knock things
over.',
I'VE might look at him" said Ginger,
and in a moment the door flew open and in
monkey Nollie ever saw. holding q red ball
between his paws. He was made Of the
best quality of flannel and stuffed with cot
ton.
Want to see me?" he said.
"Yes," said Ginger. II understand you
want n place"
II do" said the monkey. Have you one
you'll sell cheap?"
Here he winked at Mollie and made her
laugh.
Yes" I've got a place. said Ginger.
what can you do?"
"Anything," said the monkey. "Any-
thing except chew ice water, and that I
don't seem to be able to MASTER"
Why did you leave your last plaza ?'
asked Ginger.
ut didn't suit me.'' said the monkey. IT
was bathing master at the sea shore, and
when Te get soaked through it would take
me a month to dry, and then my outside
would shrink up and squeeze me almost to
death. Besides that. l couldn't swim we'll
with this ball."
"Would you mind the doll babies once in
a while for me when l 60 out?" asked
Mollie.
YES" said the monkey. .rll do what
ever they tell me. ! always mind whoever
Pm with"
So Mollie decided to take the monkey,
and. saying Good-by to Mr.. Hockey Pokev,
she and Ginger went home. The monkey
promised to pack up his bundle md appear
ON the scene the next night, which he did
according to his promise. but in the same
WAGON that came with him came also Miss
ODowd, the cellulo!d ball with the bells
inside, the ragbnby, and II great brown
thing, which Mollie took to be Universal
Elephant, for Its head came OFF, and inside
of its body was a set of Tea things, three
small rubberd doll babies for the monkey to
mind. Q rair of shoes just large enough for
Miss ODowd. and a very small box of pep
permint drops.
Mollie of course was delighted, and when
she came to thank the gingerbread man for
these things, which she was sure he had
arranged for. she lost oil control of her
feelings. and in a sudden fit of affection she
told him he was good enough to eat. and
proved that she meant it by devouring him
without moro ado.
She was sorry now that she did so, for she
has wished several times since to visit Mr.. |
Hockey Pokey'S toy intelligence office. but
could not, for the secret of his address per-
ished with Ginger. John Kendrick Bangs.
Now Try This.
II will cost You nothing and will surely
do you good, if you have a cough, cold, o,
any trouble with throat, chest or lungs,
DIR. Kings New Discovery for consumption.
coughs and colds is guaranteed to give re-
IHhf ~ - -@~- -.1I