The Parker post., 1912-04-20
THE TOY
MAN
By VIRGINIA BLAIR

the truth 2? Mrs. DanfOrth asked vi
course | do not want to doubt your
word, Peggy, but you know you do
weave fairy tales sometimes. and this
sounds like one"
mo. this is a really and truly man,
Peggy insisted. ''and he lives in big
house on top of hill, and you go in
by little gate and there is walk
with holly trees on each side of it.
and at the end there is door. with
brass knocker with funny face,
and you knock, and the man opens the
door. and shows you into long room
that is almost dark except at one end
where there is window with 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."
We'll, don't you go 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 CO. mother" said
Josephine. who was Peggy's sister,
nineteen. and very pretty 81 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 littlest ones like
Peggy"
'Yes. just the littlest 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
81 am going to be as good as good"
she said.
When Peggy had left the room Mrs.
Danforth asked, "Is it the new tenant
at the Oaks that she is talking about.
Josephine?"
"Yes. He moved in a week ago, and
it is funny household, mother. There
is just the toy man with two old
servants, two wolf hounds and white
cat"
Does he make the toys?" Mrs. Dan
forth asked
Josephine nodded. Yes, he carves
all day, so the teacher told me
met her the other day when I went
for Peggy"
The next afternoon Peggy did not
get home on time Her apologies
when she did return were profuse
'The Toy Man was waiting for me
and just had to 60"
But l told you not to-" Mrs Dan
forth said
He 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 go
in. Now, remember. Peggy"
The next day Peggy came home
with rueful countenance.
"He came out and asked me to go
in,'' she stated, "and l did not feel
very nice to tell him you wouldn't let
me-"
81 wonder why he wants Peggy
more than the other children?" Mrs
Danforth asked Josephine.
Goodness only knows" said Jo-
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, ''I mustn't come in Mother
won't let me-" Then she questioned
Josephine, Don't you think / could,
Josey?"
Josephine hesitated Maybe if |
went, too"
Would you" asked the Toy Man
eagerly. 81 should be so 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 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
Afrom a high shelf little figure at the
kGht of which Josephine exclaimed.