Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-03-20

1 ~, AhS 10 L lllSC w
"All right Max" again laughed the.
second worker. Put the baroness be-
side the prince. They are fine pair
of dolls, I'll admit"
And so Baroness Martha and Prince
William were carefully placed side by
side in huge glass show case in the
show room, and there they became
very well acquainted. At first the
baroness was bit shy and the prince
had to approach her with the greatest
ceremony. First ne introduced himself
to her, saying: "As hail from the
same country that you come from and
from the very same factory, daresay,
1t may add to the pleasure Of both to
become acquainted. My name is
Prince William" (The sly fellow had
remembered the conversation between
the two box openers in the shipping
room and liked the name and title they
had given him. And believe you are
Baroness Martha"
The pretty lady doll nodded her
head for, like the prince, she had
an attentive listener to the CONVEX
sation carried on about herself in the
shipping room and honestly believed
her name and ..tle to be Baroness,
Martha So she nodded. Then she
smiled a wee bit Of a smile, but did
not dare to speak to the fine fellow at
her side till the following day.
But it was very stormy day and
few buyers were in the show room,
consequently the time dragged heav,
lily, and the shy little baroness was
glad to chat awhile with the elegant
hammered prince at her side. They
talked first about the weather-as all
people do when getting acquainted;
then they spoke tenderly Of the fac.
tory where they were created, which
was in little toy making village on
the outskirts of the Black Forest.
All, how dear to recall that time and
place! The hearts of both warmed
as they conversed about that which
was SO dear to them.
But towards the afternoon a buyer
came to the show case and looked
the prince and the baroness over Il
like that pair of dolls" he said. "I'll
take dozen of each"
Then he went off down the room
with the salesman. But after a while
the salesman returned to the case
opened it and look out Baroness Mar
tina. In answer to an inquiry from
another salesman, he explained:
We're short one doll of this make
in the stool, room. One of the last
dozen got broken, SO I'll have to rob
the case. Will you select something
nice to put in her placer
All, alack aday! The prince felt
his heart drop at thought of the sep
aration. The baroness felt tears COM
ing into her eyes. She had grown to
trust the noble doll at her side, and
felt that life without his companion
ship would be most unhappy indeed.
But what could either of them do?
They simply had to be taken any
where. sold to anyone who might
want them. They had no voice in the
matter.
And so Baroness Martha was car
ried away from the wholesale store to
a pretty little toy shop in Broadway,
and there, with eleven twin sisters,
was displayed In various cases. And
soon after her arrival there she wSs
sold to nice looking lady, who said :.
She'll just suit Gretchen. She's so
German"
After the baroness departure the
prince became very gloomy and his
sad state of mind was not enlivened
when a salesman brought gay
French doll-a circus rider-and plac-
ed her beside him. She nodded to
him the moment she was put In the
case, and began to chatter in her ex.
citable French, which the prince could
not understand. Indeed, the contrast
between this giddy circus riding girl
doll and the demure and sweet faced
Baroness Martha was so marked that
at times Prince William became so
desperate over his loss that he was
tempted to leap out through the show
case breaking the glass with his shin
ing sword. But, being simply doll,
he had to restrain his mad impulse.
However, he scowled and looked black
at the gay French circus rider. till she
was glad enough to turn her atteE-
ton to a bright faced Japanese doll at
! the other side Of the show. case.
Thus the prince, in his gloomy
state, was left to his own sad
thoughts. And SO he was glad when
the following day he was taken from
the case to help fill an order of his
own make. the house being short" Of
German dolls.
The prince was sold to little toy
shop away up town. and was the
finest fellow in the window. One day
| just two days before Christmas, a fine
looking lady came past the shop, and
seeing the prince there. paused 70
take second look at him. "Ah, just
the doll for Gretchen to have in her
German collection" she said. at is
nice for her to have fine fellow like
that to give to her cousin Neddy when
he comes to play with her. I'll just
step in and ask his price"
An hour later Prince William was
lying in drawer in the home of the
fine looking lady, stored from sight
till the eve of Christmas, which would
be the following day. But he didn't
mind lying there-all alone in the
dark drawer-for he felt he needed
rest, and time to get over the sorrow
caused by his parting from Baroness
Martha.
At o'clock on the following even
ing Prince William was reused from
a deep sleep by pair Of tender hands
lifting him from the drawer. Tho
strong light from an electric glob,