The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-28

/
Wv should be the only specta-
tor in the long, dark roomi And
what funny pictures there were dane
ing around on the screen-quite un-
like those she had seen only that even
| ing before Nurse tucked her Into
| bed and turned out the light.
| Goodness me! What a queer lit
tie man it was standing in front of
the screen with a long pointer in his
hand-such a pointer as Teacher al
ways used when she pointed out the
| different figures on the blackboard for
Annie to add!
How strange 1t all was Indeed,
| little Annie was frightened. She tried
to scream but the scream simply
wouldn't come. All she could do was
to open her mouth and try to.
There, there, little Annie." said a
gentle voice-so gentle and sad that
she could scarcely believe 1t came
from the queer old man with the long
! pointer. Don't be frightened. shall
not harm you. I am the Spirit of
the Departing Year. And 1 want to
make sure you understand the moving
pictures am about to show you. Now
just sit still and watch"
| 1t was fortunate that he spoke so
kindly else little Annie felt sure she
would have tainted right then and
there. The queer fellow seemed very
old. yet quite spry.
His face looked for all the world
like the face of the big grandfather's
clock downstairs in the front hall,
though the hands were missing and
two little eyes peeked out, one oppo-
site the figure III and the other op-
posite the figure TX. Around 1t, as
though 1t were a drapery, were long
locks of hair, white as driven snow.
His body resembled an ld-fashioned
hour-glass; and little Annie noticed
that the sand in it had all settled in
the bottom half.
His hands were like the hands of
the grandfather's clock, one shorter
than the other. And one of his legs
was an icicle while the other-well 1t
seemed to be darting fork of light
ming. For a moment little Annie
could not quite make out the pointer
in his hand; but presently she saw 1t
was beam of sunlight.
IT am the Spirit of the Departing
Year of 1913" said the gentle yet sad
voice. Soon, when the hour of mid
night strikes shall vanish to make
way for the New Year, 1914. But be-
fore then, my child, I want to show
you some moving pictures. They are
quite different from any you have ever
seen. And yet. strange as it may
seem, you could have seen these pic
lures before = and many more like
them-all during this past year-had
you only had your eyes open to see
them. They are moving pictures that
talk too. Ready? Now-for our first
nlm!'
Burr-r-r-r-r-rrl Click-click- click
ety-click! 1t sounded for all the
world like the hum of the machine
in a regular moving picture show.
And there flashed on the screen the
picture of little girl sitting on the
floor playing with her dolls.
A little girl? Why, bless you, 1t
was Annie herself. Yes, indeed!
There-big as life-she sat, right in
her own nursery! And she was Civ
ing a tea party to her dollies, Just as
she had done so often. She saw her
self at the tiny table, pouring out
make-believe tea for Beautiful Bess,
with the bisque head and real golden
hair, and for Rag-dol1 Sue and for
dark-haired Winifred who said
Mamma" when you pressed her lit
| tie tummy!
Presently another little girl came
| tripping into the room, her face
wreathed in smiles and her eyes dane
Ing. 1t was Elizabeth, her little play
mate, who lived next door!
Elizabeth sat down on the floor be-
side her and clapped her hands in
delight over the beautiful party be-
ing held.
,"Please, may I pour the tea for
while, Annie?" asked Elizabeth.
mol No you can't!" Annie heard
| herself answer.
Elizabeth begged to be allowed to
"pour"-if only once. But Annie still
refused.
"Who asked you to come to this
! party, Elizabeth ?'' she heard herself