Mary Jane: Her Book | Page 3

could fix the dress and Marie Georgianna didn't wear her hat when

she was run over," said Mary Jane, "so I guess her twin doesn't need
anything new." But she looked so regretfully at the cases of pretty
clothes that father bought a pink parasol--"just for fun" he said.
"She doesn't want to wear just hand-me-down clothes of her sister's
even if she is a twin," he explained, "and I always like to buy doll
clothes for little girls who don't tease for new things. But there's one
thing sure about this parasol," he added, "it's not to go over to Junior's!"
"It won't!" laughed Mary Jane happily, "because I won't and parasols
can't go places by themselves!"
All the way back home Mary Jane sat very still and held the new doll
close up to her. Mr. Merrill thought perhaps she was thinking about the
accident and tried to get her to talking--that shows how little even good
fathers understand! Mary Jane wasn't thinking about any accident, dear
me no! She was naming her doll.
Just as they got out of the car at their own front walk, she announced
solemnly, "I've named her Marie Georgiannamore because a twin is
more than one."

DON'T CRY OVER SPILLED SUGAR
All the rest of the day after Marie Georgiannamore came into the
family, Mary Jane played dolls. Mother helped her fix a play house out
on the front porch in the warm sunshine and there Mary Jane and her
family had a very happy time. Evidently Marie Georgiannamore liked
her new home for she seemed very content with the other members of
Mary Jane's numerous family. There was the sailor doll and the rag doll,
Mary Jane, Jr., and small bears and dolls and kewpies too many to
count. And of course each doll had its own chair and bed so there was
quite a household out on that sunny front porch.
When father came home in the evening he helped carry in all the
furniture and in the morning he helped move it back again.
"I tell you, Mary Jane, these moving days keep us husky and strong,
don't they?" he said as he picked up three chairs and two beds at one
time.
Mary Jane laughed and, just to show that she was strong too, carried
out three doll beds (to be sure they were for the very littlest,
two-for-a-nickel dolls but then they were three beds just the same) and
a washing machine at one time! Then she thanked her father for his

good help and he went to work and she settled down for a morning's
house keeping.
About ten o'clock Mrs. Merrill came to the front door.
"Do you know any little girl who is big enough to run down to the
grocery and get me some sugar?" she asked.
"'Deed, yes, mother!" answered Mary Jane promptly, "I can bring you
ten-fifty pounds! See how strong I am?" And she doubled up her arm as
she had seen her big, basketball-playing sister do to show her muscle.
"See? And I could move more beds at one time than Daddah could this
morning."
"Well, you are strong!" exclaimed mother admiringly; "you have more
muscle than you need for sugar getting because I want only three
pounds this time. I'm making cake and pies and cookies and I've run
out of sugar and don't want to leave my work to get more. Can you
leave your family now?" she added, for she was always particular to
treat Mary Jane's duties or play as politely as she expected Mary Jane
to treat hers.
"Yes," replied Mary Jane, "I can go this very minute, mother, because
all my children are taking their morning nap. Do I have to dress up?"
"Not a bit!" laughed mother; "just go down to Shaffer's at the corner
then you won't have to cross any street. Here is the money and here is
the paper that tells what you want--three pounds of granulated sugar.
Thank you for going, dear."
Mary Jane tucked the slip of paper and the money into her pocket under
her handkerchief, kissed her mother good-by and ran down the walk.
It didn't take long to do the errand because she ran right by her friend
Doris's house without even stopping to call "Hu-uu-oo!" as she usually
did; and because Mr. Shaffer seemed to have been expecting a call for
three pounds of sugar--he had the parcel all ready.
On the way back Mary Jane looked longingly into Doris's house and
there, sure enough, her little playmate was standing on the front porch.
"Come on in!" called Doris.
"Can't now," answered Mary Jane; "I'm doing an errand for mother, a
real important errand," and she held the package of sugar tightly in her