Mary Jane: Her Book | Page 2

finished mother, with a
thrill of fear as she realized Mary Jane's narrow escape. Then she wiped
off the teary blue eyes and smilingly said, "Listen, Mary Jane, and I'll
tell you a secret."
"A secret about a doll?" asked Mary Jane eagerly.
"A secret about a doll," replied mother. "Marie Georgianna has a twin."
"Not a really truly twin?" demanded Mary Jane and she sat up straight
and opened her eyes wide. "A really, truly, for surely enough twin?"
"Yes, she has," said mother nodding her head emphatically, "a really,
truly, for surely enough twin--I saw her down at the store only
yesterday and I think we'll have to go down town and bring her home,
don't you think so?"
"But how'll we go so early?" asked Mary Jane, for she knew that
mother always liked to do her morning work before they went on
errands.
"I think father is still here," replied mother; "you smile up your face
and run around to the garage. I think you'll find him there working on
his car. If you do, tell him all about what happened and tell him he's
going to mend your doll by finding her twin!"
Mary Jane slipped down from her mother's lap and hurried around the
house toward the garage. As soon as she was out of sight, Mrs. Merrill
went out to the street and rescued the wreck of the doll from the dusty
road. Yes, Mary Jane was right when she said that the doll was all
gone--it would take considerable work to put even the dress in order
and the doll itself was broken beyond all mending. Hastily Mrs. Merrill
pulled off the dirty dress and dropped the doll into the covered trash
basket where Mary Jane would not see it again and be reminded of the
accident.
"What are we going to do about that speeding on our road?" demanded
father as he hurried up to the back porch just as the lid was back on the
trash basket. "Did you hear about Mary Jane's narrow escape?"
"We're going to do this about it," said mother positively, "Mary Jane
isn't to go over to Junior's again by herself. If she has to go over, one of

us will take her. And now the important thing is to find Marie
Georgianna's twin. And Mary Jane," she added as the little girl came
running toward the steps, "this twin of Marie Georgianna's is afraid of
automobiles, very afraid of them, and she doesn't like to cross the street
unless some grown up person is with her."
"That's a good thing," said Mary Jane with a big sigh, "because I don't
like to either. Next time I go over to Junior's I'm not going over. And
what shall I name Marie Georgianna's twin, mother?"
"We'll decide that later," laughed mother; "you must hurry quick and
wash your hands and face and slip on a clean frock so you can go to the
store with father."
It doesn't take long to tidy a little girl who wants to help so it wasn't
five minutes before Mary Jane was sitting, clean and tidy and straight,
beside her father in the front seat of his automobile. She loved to get in
while the car was still in the garage and then, when he backed it out, to
hold the wheel while he locked the doors and climbed back into the
driver's seat.
The Merrills lived in a charming home on the edge of a small city; a
home surrounded by trees and garden and plenty of space for playing;
and at the same time, only about ten minutes' ride from the stores in the
center of the city. So a very short ride brought Mr. Merrill and Mary
Jane to the store where Marie Georgianna's twin was to be found. In the
meantime, Mrs. Merrill had telephoned to the store and had told the
saleswoman in the doll department just which doll to have ready for
Mary Jane.
When Mr. Merrill and his little girl walked into the toy department,
there, with her arms outstretched in greeting, was a beautiful big doll.
For a moment Mary Jane said nothing--the doll was so like her dear,
broken-to-pieces Marie Georgianna that she could hardly believe her
eyes! She walked up close to the counter; looked hard at the doll and
then exclaimed, "It is! It is, Daddah! It is a twin just as mother said it
was! And is it for me to take home?"
Mr. Merrill assured her that the doll was to go home with them and
then he asked about clothes. "Are you sure you have enough at home?
Were the clothes spoiled too?"
"While mother was washing me ready to come down town, she told me
she