The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-01-20
A DOLL TOO MANY.

But it was not love for the new doll
that prompted Florence to take her with
her. It was part of her plan.
She had not gone far from home when
she met Jack Perret. Now. II there was
boy on that block whom Florence found
It hard to play with, it was Jack Perret.
But to-day she stopped and greeted him
like a long-lost brother las grown-ups say
in their novels.
where are you going?" she inquired
sweetly.
Jack stood still and looked at her.
Taking some calrs-foot jelly to grand
pa. who's sick" he replied. Then he
added, suspiciously, "Why?'
ooh. nothing" answered Florence. as
she passed on smiling.
Jack turned and resumed his walk, but
the next moment stopped short. Some
thing hard had struck him on the back
of the neck He turned and ran after
Florence, but stumbled over something
It was the unnecessary doll.
Jack stopped and picked it up. Dolls
he said. contemptuously! she never
could have thrown that. Girls never
throw dolls. They're too fond Of them
So. deciding that Florence must have
let It fail out of her arms and that in
some mysterious way It had gone up in
stead of down, he walked back to where
she stood, and politely returned the doll
Florence, who had expected Jack to
completely demoIish the doll in his wrath,
at being hit. was too disappointed q
thank him, and Jack, noticing her indif-
ferent manner, asked in amazement,
Don't you want it?'
And then Florence did a thing she new
er thought she could have domestic con
fded her troubles 10 Jack: how she had
so many dolls that, like the old lady in
the shoe. she didn't know what to do
and now this birthday, when she had eX-
pected a house to put them in. she had
got another doll instead.
Jack was strangely sympathetic, and
offered Il remedy which met with Flor
ence's immediate approval Let's bury
her in this snowdrift," he suggested;
Then Jack and Florence dug with all
their might and main. and pretty soon
far down under a heap Of snow, lay
Florence's new doll. and out of that they
made a snow man, and then Florence
went home happy.
But she didn't stay happy. Neither
father nor mother questioned her as To
where her new doll was, for both hoped
that she had become unusually charitable
and left it with Annie
But all day long Florence kept remem-
bering the poor new doll that hadn't
even been named, lying out there at the
foot Of the cold white snow man, and
when night came and she tucked her more
fortunate little china and bisque chill
dren into their comfortable beds her
heart felt a sudden tug that made her sit
down quickly and think. She didn't dc
much thinking, either, before both LITTLE
blue eyes were wet with tears and two
little feet carried a very repentant littlt
girl 20 father to confess
Father was one of those lovely mer
that understand exactly why you do z
thing and then always know how To hell
you out OF the consequences He dOnneC
his great coat and overshoes, and befor,
very many minutes had elapsed was back
home with the new doll, very wet and
dirty, but unbroken. which a delighted
little grille clasped thankfully In hel
arms.
Florence named her at once Cinderella
because she had acted like horrid step
mother to her. and she put her best dolls
nightg0Wn on her and tucked her care
fully into the softest spot Of her doll;
bed.-Jean Riddell.