The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-02-05
THE TOY
MAN
By VIRGINIA BLAIR

word. Peggy. but you know you dc
weave fairy tales sometimes. and this
sounds like one"
NO. this Is really and truly man.
Peggy insisted. "and he lives in a biz
house on top of hill. and you 60 in
by a little gate and there is a walk
with holly trees on each side Of 1t,
and at tn, end there is door, with
a brass knocker with a funny face,
and you knock. and the man opens the
coor. and shows YOU into a long room
that is almost Clark except at one end
where there Is window with a lot
OF colored glass in it. and all around
the room are toys. and the man wears
velvet coat and he has a lovely
smile, mother"
but how" Mrs. Danforth demand.
ed. did you happen to go there.
Peggy?"
"All the children do" Peggy de-
clared. When we go home from
school We run up the path and bang
with the knocker and see the toys.
and he never scolds. but just seems
glad to have U.S."
well. don't you 80 again. Mrs.
Danforth said. until find out about
him. Peggy. 1t is a strange kind OF
man that wanted to bother with all
the small boys and girls from your
school,"
They don't all go. mother" said
Josephine, who was Peggys sister.
nineteen. and very pretty. Il went
to meet Peggy yesterday and there Is
a colored porter who stands at the
gate and he does not let all the chill.
dren in. just the littlcst ones like
Peggy"
Eyes, just the littlest ones like
me" said Peggy, complaccntly. land
asked him who the toys were for and
he said he was making them for good
children for Christmas"
Josephine laughed. "Do you think
you're going to get somc?"
Peggy nodded.
Il am going to be as good as good"
she said
When Peggy had left the room Mrs.
Danforth asked, rs 1t the new tenant
at the Oaks that she Is talking about.
Josephine?"
"Yes. He moved in week ago, and
It is a funny household. mother. There
Is just the toy man with two old
servants, two wolf-hounds and a white
cat"
Does he make the toys" Mrs. Dan.
forth asked.
Josephine nodded. "Yes, he carves
all day. so the teacher told me. I
met her the other day when l went
for Peggy"
The next afternoon Peggy did not
get home on time. Her apologies
when she did return were profuse.
"Thc Toy Man was waiting for me
and just had to CO."
but | told you not to-" Mrs. Dan.
forth said.
''IIe asked me and asked me, moth.
err" Peggy said, and you wouldn't
want me to be not polite. would you?"
"The next time you must tell him
that mother does not want you to 80
in. Now, remember, Peggy"
The next day Peggy came home
with rueful countcnance.
''FIc came out and asked me to go
in" she stated, "and | did not feel
very nice to tell him you wouldn't let
me-"
Il wonder why he wants Peggy
more than the other children" Mrs.
Danfcrlh asked Josephine.
Goodness only knows" said 10
sephine. and that afternoon. moved
by curiosity. she made her walk take
her In the roadway that led to the
Oaks.
Thus it happened that she met the
gentleman with the nice smile and
the velveteen coat face to face He
was standing at the gate. and as the
children passed he asked them to
come In. selecting, as Peggy had said.
the littlest ones. Josephine Joined
Peggy as the little maid said, regret
fully, Il mustn't come In. Mother
won't let me-" Then she questioned
Josephine. Don't you think I could.
Josey?"
Josephine hesitated. Maybe If I
went. too"
Would you?" asked the Toy Man
Il should be 30 glad to have
you"
He led the way to the big door
with the brass knocker and Josephine
and a group Of little folks followed.
Josephine found that Peggy had not
half told Of the beauty and charm Of
the big room where the toys stood in
shadowy corners, and the stained
glass window gave a mysterious light /
They were strange toys. some Of
them little green gods with yellow (
eyes, little ivory elephants. whose
heads nodded. Chinese mandarins. /
bronze lions.
Surely you do not make these"
Josephine said.
He shook his head. These are what
make" he said, and brought down
rom high shelf little figure at the
.iuh4 &C ,rhinh InrnpLipa zr.1.i.an.l