The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-12-11
ALL THE HOUSES SEEMED TO OPEN THEIR MOUTHS

travel on day like this! The thermometer is nearly
down TO zero, and the wind cuts like pruning
knife7
'stay here" added Elsie, @and be our guestcuntl
1t gets warmer"
Il would gladly do so, even if had to stay until
spring, but ] must go u my wayl" responded the
aged man, with broad smile. Il have important
business far away and must hasten"
So he went away and Grandpa laid himself down
for his afternoon nap an cd motheaten sofa
near the stove. Elsie went pottering about among
the flowers and plants, for they were 70 her what
chickens and lambs are to little girl on farm, or
dolls and kittens to a child in city house. as she
had no toys or playthings Of her own.
She turned up the soft earth, pOking about in IL
with her chubby fingers and peeTing down into II to
see IT she could discover some-of the mysterious
bacteria that feed the plant-roots and suddenly her
hand touched something hard and cold. The next
moment she dragged out a pair Of ancient iron
bound spectacles. rusted and covered with earth.
After examining them curiouslv she thought that
perhaps Grandpa had lost them long ago. and she
then cleaned thcm polishing the iron until it shone.
after which she placedA them her nose, where
they wobbled dangerously.
Looking across the street through the cid spec
tacles, at the familiar red house opposite, she was
startled 10 see that It entirely changed. and
instead of rather ordinary, plain dwelling, ii
a marvel of architecture for it seemed to be alive
1t was frownng and glarine across = her out of
Its two upper windows if angry, and then II
seemed 70 open great wide mouth, where its porch
had been, as if about to swallow he long narrow
greenhouse
She shrank back in ALARM and her eyes fell on
the tall fence beside the house, upon which was
pasted dozens Of brightly colorcd posters; and
strange to say, every figure In the pictures was
alive and moving about the fence.
1T must be these spectaclesl' cried Elsie after
q moment of fright. Things couldn't really act So
l know. Maybe It's those bad bacteria! They have
certainly done something to the glass, but what
ever ii Is / won't be scared, 80 there
Then she looked lore calmly over at the
strangely acting houses and posters, which con
tinucd TO move and grinace OF her, and then she
saw that the statue Of General Lafayette was tip
toeing its way across the park straight toward her.
smiling most prodigously and stopping now and
then bow politely to the froWung houses OH each
side They all seemed about to swallow him II he
came which alarmed the little girl; hut when
OF the figures poster sprang from tho fence.
linked arms With the General and stepped out with
him in her direction, she began to be afraid Of
something happening to herself.
She about TO call her grandfather. when She
suddenly sped a little green door in the green
house wah that she had never seen before. In fact
she quite sure that it had not been there mo-
mcnt before 1T was only large enough to admit a
child OF her own size. and seemed if it had been
made purpose 20 afford her an opportunity Of
escaping the General and the figure in red and black
with him.
At any rate. Elsie didn't stop to ponder over it
wonder how it came there; she instantly darted
to IT, and laid her hand on tho little class knob at
It's side and it opened quito readily. She sprang
into the welcome opening and promptly closed the
little green door behind her.
Instead Of finding herself ina closet or else in
the familiar vacant lot beside the greenhouse either
of which would have been natural seeing that the
little door was in the greenhouse wall Elsie to her
vast amazement and utter bewildernent, instantly
saw that she was IN an entirely sSrangc place, the
Ike Of which She had never dreamed or