The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-12-18

Tier foot's cracked mt THE anasle-ll
come off any time. Here. III chuck her
over on that damaged pile there smell
! do for bargains after Christmas, II she
! is dark completed.
The pile that no epolce Of was near
| Henny's left hand. T-r-r-r! ca-ro some-
thing gently tossed through tho air. and
with soft thu1np tho dolls body fell
close beside her, so close that It touched
her. The chlld's eyes and fingers closed
| as with a spasnl Now she heard it
clearly. clearly. It was not saying only,
but sobbing this time, Take me! Take
| met,
Henry found herself on her feet before
| the two others.
II reckon I'll go home now, eff you're
done with me- Miss speers. an thankn'
YOU" she said.
My land!" cried the girl, what a
! face! You sick. lsiddie?
Pore little cuss. where hurts your
asked the foT-walker, not urgently.
q -sotter sorter3 cough" managed Hem
ny. II sorter hurts everywheres.. =
We'll, you jest como straight along
! with me- Miss Speers ordered II guess
you're most starved and clean wore out.
! guess that's what's happened you. You
come With mo to place wheyo me an
| Mr.. Gannon's goin'. I'll trent you, " with
a coy glance at the toor-walker, who
| smiled appropriatingly and condescended,
Good girl Gertie.''
The intense heat and the strong scent
OF chocolate in the shop lnade Kenny feel
faint and giddy. The bustiing, giggllng
! tllrong grew small and large before her
eyes, as the doll had done, and when she
coughed ]ler side panied AS III q vague,
g1uish dream she heard Miss Speers say
ing:
Eve, an I'm goln' to treat you
She started at the silver quarter" that
the other twinkled before her, only half
comprehending, but her face felt stiff.
as though It wouldn't crease into q
! smile IN III
THANK you, nla'am," she vcntured, in
| a spent little voice. And then suddenly
came that hot streak or her heart through
! her breast. Was Miss Spssrs going to
give her that quarter? Ethel Barry
more, ! marked down, would be half her
former price. and that price had been fifty
cents Could it, could it be going to
! happen to her Hcnny2 Her fingers were
just uncurltng timdly from their hold on
her mothers dragging winter cape when
she saw the precious quarter flung gayly
upoE the glass candy counter and heard
Miss Speers's voice ordering In holiday
| tones: I'm
"a box CT your best mixed for tie
Eddie here. anG mind You do 1t up SOS
30 look pretty How's that for high. and
Christmas times, oh, klddic:"
She drew the child close to her. cum
| brous cape and all, ana kissed her twice.
"Aiy. but you're hot!' she said, as she
freed her again. "Shore you aln't got
| feyer?"
| But poor Henuy was not sure. She felt
| as though her clothes were scorch!ng her,
and the longing ache TO cry was worse
than tho pain when she coughed She
! took the jauntiy berlbboned box with Il
trooper air OF thankfu!ncss, however, and
many grateful Thank you. ma unls,"
but 1t was ull that she could do to keep
from daEhing It from her when they
reached the street.
| She had never loatlled anything or any
one IN her short life as She loathed that
box OF candy &
That night she dreamed of tho doll M
usual, but this time q different sort OF
! dream, she had lain awake for VIA,
seemed hours hot, wre'ched. trying to
suppress tho little barking cough TINT dig,
turbed her mother, ard she thought that
! sha was still awake, wien thsrp came n
strange humping sound on tho outer
| stairs. Up and mp It came. nearer and
nearer. The door swung open and In
! curious light on the threshold she saw
| the Doll 1t was much larger than she
| remembered ~, about her own Bzc. and
i came stiffly humping toward her. hold.
Ing out rigid wax arms Its eyes wer,
not looking nj her. but It wore II VIC ed
smile, and 1t. snid In dreadful "A tle
voice: 'lf you don't take me. I'm goi e
| to take your
1t was to Henry MS " I'll the horto- IN
space were condensed In those few words
! The disrrrp7rti nae sick terri OF
dreams was upon her 80 tn I she corld
neither move nNr Try out. Ten a. at
once 1t seemed To b. chrl tfr,as mo- Ing.
and as the not In mss OF wha b 6
meant for her came up3n !, r wit the
| Ugh, OF be- tptf1
| longcd suddenly to hurt Some, hing, som
! one, with her hands with her rcethl PAS
| sionately, yindlctively, as she was being
| hurt 5s
7 In a short time shc was back at Del
! tons, her head burning. her Temples
nammering, The cough attacking her IN
\ little gales
Tiny firm b'lef sou got the grip