WHERE THE DOLL WENT.
Edna awoke, still wondering. Of course she realized that there was no
hope of her going to the fair again that evening, for she had been up
until ten o'clock the night before, and besides Aunt Elizabeth would
not be well enough to go out into the night air, and Uncle Justus
could not be expected to give up his warm corner and his easy chair a
second time. So Edna contented herself with dwelling upon the delights
of the evening before, and wrote a long account of it to sister.
Writing to her sister or her parents was one of her regular Saturday
employments. The letters were always strictly scrutinized by Aunt
Elizabeth, and sometimes had to be written all over again.
Edna had just finished her letter when Ellen called her.
"Come, dear; there's a lady to see you in the parlor."
"Who can it be? O, maybe it is Miss Atkins, my Sunday-school teacher!"
"Shure, thin, it's not," replied Ellen; "but you're to hurry."
"This is Miss Martin," said Aunt Elizabeth, as Edna entered the room.
"Come and speak to her."
"You know who I am, don't you?" said Miss Martin, drawing the little
girl to her side.
Edna did know.
"You are our minister's daughter," she replied.
"Yes; and my father wants you to come and take tea with us and go to
the fair afterward to find out about that wonderful doll. You know
this is the last evening, and the votes are to be counted."
Edna looked quickly at Aunt Elizabeth. Would she let her go? But it
was evident that Miss Martin's invitation was not to be set aside like
that of an ordinary person, and Edna was made happy by hearing her
aunt say:
"Mr. Martin is very kind. My niece should feel very much favored. You
may go and get ready, Edna. Miss Martin is good enough to say that she
will wait for you."
Edna scampered up stairs as fast as she could go, then she flew down
to the kitchen to ask Ellen's help.
The good-humored maid was as pleased as possible over the pleasure
promised her favorite, and she made ready the little girl with all the
speed necessary.
"My father and I will bring Edna home ourselves," said Miss Martin. "I
am so sorry, Mrs. Horner, that your neuralgia must keep you at home;
but we hope this evening to bring you full reports of our success."
Mr. Martin came out of his study to greet Edna, and made her feel at
home at once by telling her a funny story about the big dog which
stalked through the hall and sniffed at the little visitor in a way
which, at first, rather scared her, but she soon found he meant to
make friends with her, so she was quite content to sit with his big
head in her lap and his soft brown eyes looking up at her while Mr.
Martin asked about her own pets which she had left at home.
It seemed very queer to sit there and see where those wise sermons
were made which the minister preached from the pulpit every Sunday, to
find out that Mr. Martin was as full of fun as anyone, and that his
daughter did not stand in awe of him, but that she teased him at
supper for his fondness for hot buttered cakes.
I shall like to go to church very much next Sunday, thought Edna,
because I know Mr. Martin, and have seen just how it looks here when
he is writing his sermons.
When supper was over no time was lost in starting for the fair.
"We must make hay while the sun shines," said Mr. Martin, "and try if
we can add to the votes we already have."
"O!" exclaimed Edna, "have you a great many Mr. Martin? Is there any
chance of Maggie's getting the doll?"
Mr. Martin smiled.
"That is telling," he replied. "But you will know pretty soon."
It was very exciting to be present this last evening of the fair, for
everyone was anxious to make the most of it, and Edna thought it great
fun to watch the auctioneer who was selling off some of the larger
articles. She was intensely interested when Mr. Martin began bidding
on a set of books, and was quite as triumphant as he was when they
were knocked down to him.
But all other interests fell flat when some one came up and said:
"Mr. Martin, they are going to count the votes for the doll."
Edna's eyes grew big, and she could scarcely sit still from anxiety.
She kept craning her neck to see if anyone were coming from the
direction of that special booth. Finally she was rewarded by seeing
the doll delivered into the hands of a gentleman who made his way
toward the platform.
There was another little girl who was quite as eager as herself. Edna
had often seen her in church, and knew she was the daughter of wealthy
parents. She wore very pretty, dainty clothes, and Edna found her eyes
very often wandering in the direction of this little girl during
service; but the object of her admiration once turned and made a face
at Edna, which proceeding shocked her very much. "I wouldn't do that
in church," she said to herself. "I don't care if she is rich and
comes in that shining carriage; she is not a nice little girl. I like
Maggie Horn much better."
Therefore it was a very thrilling moment when the gentleman holding
the doll mounted the stand, and said, "I have here a very popular
young lady. She comes from Mrs. Tuttle's booth, and has received so
many votes that she must be quite anxious herself as to her future."
Then reading from a paper, he said, "I will only announce the two
candidates who have received the greatest number of votes: Clara
Adams, one hundred and twenty-seven; Edna Conway--" the little girl's
heart stood still, and she clasped Miss Martin's hand convulsively,
while she looked at her with something like reproach--"in behalf of
Maggie Horn," continued the gentleman, "three hundred and one votes."
There was silence a moment. "I want to say," the gentleman went on,
"that the little girl--whose representative I hope is here--is one of
the inmates of the Home of the Friendless, rescued from a pitifully
unhappy life by Edna Conway, who has also been the means of procuring
for the little girl, no longer friendless, this beautiful doll. Will
Miss Edna Conway please come forward?"
Growing red and white by turns; glad, fearful, ashamed, all at once,
Edna went to the platform amid tremendous applause. Every eye was
turned upon her, and she felt in this conspicuous position as if she
should sink through the floor. Into her hands the lovely doll was
given, and then the gentleman detained her by saying, "One moment, my
dear. The ladies of the fair want you to accept this little basket of
flowers, with their love;" and a basket of exquisite roses was handed
down.
Edna hardly knew how she got back to Miss Martin's side, but when she
did reach there the doll was laid upon the bench, the flowers were
handed to Mr. Martin, and the little child hid her face on her
friend's shoulder, overcome by the situation.
"We'd better go now," said Miss Martin, in a low voice, as she saw a
body of girls ready to pounce upon Edna with hugs and kisses. "I am
sure Mrs. Horner would not like this fuss over her niece," she
continued to her father. And Edna was quite ready to leave, not liking
herself to be fussed over.
Miss Martin and her father only stopped to see their little charge
safe in the hands of her aunt and uncle, and with many thanks, Edna
bade them a fervent good-night. In her delight she entered the
sitting-room, forgetting to be a little girl that should "be seen and
not heard."
"O, Uncle Justus!" she cried. "See! see! the doll for Maggie; and look
at my flowers! Look, auntie!"
"Not so loud, child," reproved Aunt Elizabeth.
"Let me see. Yes, the doll is very pretty; and where did you get your
flowers?"
[Illustration]
"Why," returned Edna, innocently, "the man said that the ladies of the
fair gave them to me with their love, and I don't know why, for I
didn't get a single vote but yours and Uncle Justus's."
Aunt Elizabeth smiled, but she did not explain. "Well, child," she
said, "it was very kind of the ladies to pay the compliment to Mr.
Martin's little guest."
"O, yes," replied Edna, "of course it was, and he liked it, too. I
wish I had given him and Miss Martin more of the roses."
"You had better put them in water, or they will all fade," said Aunt
Elizabeth; "I have no doubt the ladies will remember Mr. Martin. Now
go to bed, and try to get up when you are called so as to be ready for
Sunday-school."
"O, Aunt Elizabeth, just please tell me when I can take Maggie her
doll."
"I am afraid I shall not be able to go with you on Monday, for I have
a meeting in the afternoon," answered Aunt Elizabeth.
"Couldn't you find your way alone?" asked Uncle Justus.
"I think perhaps I could," replied Edna, a little doubtfully, "but I
am not very good at finding my way about. Papa says my bump of
locality was left out. I don't know what that means, but he said so."
"Perhaps if I put you on the cars and tell the conductor to let you
out at Pearl Street you could find your way," said Uncle Justus.
"And what about the getting back?" put in Aunt Elizabeth. "I think
Edna will have to wait."
But here again Miss Martin came to her aid, for the next morning after
Sunday-school she made her way over to where Edna was standing waiting
for Louis, and asked her about the matter.
"I can't go till Tuesday," Edna told her, "for Aunt Elizabeth hasn't
time to take me, and I do so want Maggie to have her doll. Won't she
be s'prised. Miss Martin? I am just crazy to take it to her."
"Let me see," returned Miss Martin, thoughtfully. "If your aunt will
allow you to go, perhaps I can take you. How would that do? I will see
Mrs. Horner after church, and we'll try and arrange it."
And so it was settled that Edna should go with Miss Martin to the Home
the next afternoon. In the meantime it was a great temptation to have
the pretty doll so near and not resist the temptation of being a
little envious of it. Many a peep was taken at the fine lady laid away
in state in one of Edna's bureau drawers; but the child was honorable
enough not to run the risk of spoiling the freshness of her attire by
taking her out of her place.
"I think you were a goose not to try for the doll yourself," said
Louis.
"O, Louis!" replied Edna. "I never could have had all those votes, and
besides I have Moggins, so you see I ought to make up to Maggie for
that."
"Well, that's so," replied Louis. "Anyhow I am glad that that stuck-up
Clara Adams did not get her."
Edna was thoughtful. "So am I," she confessed. "But," she added, "I
heard Miss Martin say, 'Poor Clara Adams, I'm very sorry for that
child.'"
"Poor!" exclaimed Louis. "I don't know where you get your rich people
from if she's poor. I reckon Miss Martin doesn't know what she's
talking about."
"I'm going to ask her," declared Edna. And true to her word she did
ask, that very afternoon, "What made you say, 'Poor Clara Adams,' Miss
Martin?"
"Did I say that? Well, dear, she is a very poor little girl; with all
her rich clothes and her ornaments there is one ornament which I am
afraid she will never be able to wear."
Edna opened her eyes. "What is it, Miss Martin?" she asked, wondering
if Clara were in any way deformed so she could not wear rings.
Miss Martin smiled. "Did you never hear about the ornament of a meek
and quiet spirit?" she said.
"O," returned Edna, only half understanding.
"Clara is a restless, discontented, envious little girl," continued
Miss Martin; "and although her mother and father come to church every
Sunday, and give liberally to charities, their little girl is not
taught to find happiness by thinking of others rather than of herself,
and so that poor little self of hers often feels as much neglected as
Maggie Horn ever did."
"But Clara isn't neglected," interposed Edna.
"She thinks she is, unless some one is paying attention to her all the
time. She wants to be noticed and considered and amused from morning
till night, and feels slighted at being set aside for a single
instant. So you see she is a little girl to be pitied. 'Contentment is
better than wealth,' says the old proverb."
That was a new way to look at Clara Adams, Edna reflected; but she had
not time then to think much of the matter, for by this time they had
reached the Home where Maggie was.
This was not visitors' day, but a note from Mrs. Horner to Miss Barnes
gave Edna special permission to see Maggie. She came into the room
looking very clean and neat in her blue dress and gingham apron. Her
face brightened as she caught sight of Edna.
"Why," she exclaimed, "how did you happen to come to-day? How is
Moggins? I hope he doesn't bother your aunt."
"Moggins is as fat as butter," answered Edna, "and I came--O,
Maggie--I came to bring you this," and she thrust the doll into the
little girl's arms.
Maggie looked from the doll to Edna and back again, perfectly
bewildered. "Why, why," she said, "not for me! You don't mean for me!"
Edna nodded, "Yes," most decidedly. "It's for you, and came from the
fair. O, so many people voted for her--three hundred. Isn't she
sweet?"
"O! O!" cried Maggie, "I never had nothin' like this. I never expected
nothin' like it. I feel like it was Christmas, an' I was a-dreamin,
an' it was a story book all to once. Da'st I kiss you?"
"Why, of course," replied Edna, heartily, and she threw her arms
around the little girl and gave her a fervent embrace. Then followed a
close examination of the dolly's pretty clothes by both little girls,
till Miss Martin came in accompanied by Miss Barnes, who said she was
sorry to take Maggie away, but that it was study hour; and the
children separated, one about as happy as the other.
Then Edna and her friend turned toward home, where a new surprise was
awaiting.