Bisbee daily review., 1912-04-07
THE TOY
 MAN
By VIRGINIA BLAIR

NN1Abc uO uOl want 10 uOuDS your
 word. Peggy. but you know you do
 weave fairy tales sometimes. and this
 sounds like one" ....
 No, this is really and truly man."
 Peggy insisted, "and he lives in a big
 house on top of a hill. and you go fin
 oy a little gate and there is'a walk
 with holly trees on each side of fl.
 and at the end there is a door, with
 a brass knocker with a funny face, and you knock. and the man opens the
 door, and shows you into a long room
 that is almost dark except at one end where there is window with a lot
 or colored glass in 1t, 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 us."
 Well, don't you go again." Mrs. Danforth said. until find out about him. Peggy. It 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 Peggy's sister, nineteen, and very pretty. T went 10 meet Peggy yesterday and there is 6 colored porter who stands at the gate and he does not let all the chill dren in, just the littlest ones like Peggy"
 Yes, just the Iittlest ones like me-" said Peggy. complacently, "and 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 some?"
 Peggy nodded.
 T am going to be as good as good" she said.
 When Peggy had left the room Mrs. Dan5orth asked, 'Is it the new tenant | at the Oaks that she Is talking about, | Josephine?"
 Yes. He moved in a week ago. and 1t 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 teys?" Mrs. Dan forth asked.
 Josephine nodded. "Yes, he carves all day. so the teacher told me. met her the other day when vent for Peggy"
 The next afternoon Peggy did not get home on time. Her apologies when she did return were pTofuse.
 The Toy Man was waiting for me and just had to go."
 But told you not to-" Mrs. Dan forth said.
 He asked me and asked me, moth IT, Peggy said, "and you wouldn't want me to be not polite, would you?"
 The next time you must tell him nat mother does not want you to go h. Now, remember, Peggy"
 The next day Peggy came home with rueful countenance.
 He came out and asked me to 20 r" she stated, and I did not feel 1 'ery nice to tell him you wouldn't let ne"
 T wonder why he wants Peggy nore than the other children?" Mrs. asked Josephine.
 Goodness only knows" said Jo- ephine. and that afternoon, moved y curiosity. she made her walk take Ter in the roadway that led to the )aks. Thus 1t happened that she met the with the nice smile and he velveteen coat face to face. He Ias standing at the gate. and as the hudren passed he asked them to ome in, selecting. as Peggy had said. ne Htuest ones. Josephine joined 'eggy as the little maid said. regret llly, T mustn't come in. Mother 'ont let me" Then she questioned josephine, Don't you think I could. z osey?" Josephine hesitated. Maybe if | 'ent, too" Would you?" asked the Toy Man : agerly. T should be SO glad to have U ou." II He led the way to the big door :, 'ith the brass knocker and Josephine nd group of little folks followed. josephine found that Peggy had not :, sh told of the beauty and charm of S le big room where the toys stood in :, aadowy corners. and the stained c lass window gave mysterious light. They were strange toys, some of - lem little green gods with yellow " yes, little ivory elephants, whose ., sads nodded, Chinese mandarins. <. ronze lions. u Surely you do not make these" r, 0sephine said.
 He shook his head. These are what make" he said. and brought down z, om high shelf little figure at the ght of which Josephine exclaimed. Why. it's PeggyI" =, It was only in the rough clay, and ',, tiny thing. but it was Peggy to the r. fe, poised on tip-toe. curls flying. res wide with mystery of childhood. T, ,sIhtiv d0 moi knnvkra' he oaf,5 s,.,i.eAit T