Our Stories From Granny

THE DOLL

Kaley was too happy to walk. She skipped and she jumped and even laughed when she stepped into the mud hole in the road. She was on her way to buy the doll in the window of Mrs. Brook’s doll store. Ever since the doll appeared in the window Kaley had been saving her allowance to buy it. She had run errands for her Mother, and she had been paid for helping her aunt Nan clean house. Today she finally had enough to pay Mrs. Brook for the doll. On down the road ran Kaley. She passed the Grant’s large green house on the corner of the dirt road and the cement street then passed the first white new house facing the sidewalk.

“The girl who lives in the new house has been sick for almost a year,” her mother had told her father. “She must be better by now,” said mother. “I saw her out in the yard yesterday.”

“Oh, I’m so glad,” smiled her father.

Mrs. Brook was busy waiting on a customer when Kaley walked into the store. Kaley went over to the glass case holding the precious doll. Her eyes danced. It was even more beautiful than she had remembered it to be when it was in the window. Suddenly Kaley noticed a girl about her own age standing on the other side of the store’s glass window. The girl’s face was thin and pale and her big blue eyes were fastened intently on Kaley’s doll. Kaley felt a little chill of fright. No one else could possibly be planning to buy her doll. What if – and then Mrs. Brook laid a friendly hand on her shoulder.

“Hello, Kaley,” she smiled. “What can I do for you?”

Kaley smiled and pointed eagerly. “The doll please, Mrs. Brook.” She opened her fist and held out her hand. “See I have saved enough money to buy it.”

Mrs. Brooks laughed, “Good! I’ll wrap it up for you.”

“Oh, no!” said Kaley. “I’d like to carry her just like she is.” How could everyone see the beautiful doll that was hers if it was hidden by paper wrappings!

Kaley walked toward the door, holding her doll very carefully. She heard Mrs. Brook say, “What can I do for you, young lady?”

The girl replied in a low voice, “Nothing – nothing. I’m just looking.”

Once Kaley glanced back, the girl’s blue eyes looked so sad and Kaley could see money clutched in the girl’s hand. Kaley walked down the street toward home. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw the new girl passing on the other side of the street. The girl had a limp and one shoe was higher than the other one.

It puzzled Kaley to find that she wasn’t as happy as she had expected her to be. Her steps lagged, when she saw the girl turning into the white house at the end of the sidewalk. So she was the girl Mother had talked to Father about this morning.

Kaley was right opposite the white house now. She sighed to herself and turned her steps directly into the walk that led up to the white house. “My name is Kaley, what is your name?”

My name is Sara and I saw you at the store.

Just then, Kaley said “Here.”

Sara looked puzzled as Kaley placed the doll on the porch beside her. “You got there first,” Kaley stammered. “It’s yours.”

A slow smile lighted the girl’s large blue eyes and soft color warmed her pale cheeks. She grinned at Kaley. Then, very shyly, she spoke. “Would you stay and play, and be my friend? You can play with the new doll, since it is actually yours anyway.”

“I will be your friend and play dolls with you, but first I will go home and get my old doll. You can have the new one.”

That day Kaley and Sara had a wonderful time together and Kaley not only made a new friend, but learned it really was more