And, soon enough, she had her wish. Through the different streets rolled the automobile, and soon it came to a stop near a pretty house in front of which was a lawn. The lawn was green in summer, but now, as it was near Christmas, there was white snow on the grass.
“You may put the auto up now,� said the lady to the driver. “I shall not be going out again to-day. I must get ready for Dorothy’s birthday party.�
And then the Sawdust Doll was carried into the house. The lady hurried up the stairs, holding the package under her fur coat.
“Is that you, Mother?� called Dorothy from the playroom.
“Yes,� was the answer. “Stay there! I’ll be with you in a moment. Is Dick there?�
“Yes, I’m here!� Dick answered. “I’m making believe a chair is a rocking horse. Did you bring me a rocking horse, Mother?� he asked, and he came to the door of the playroom.
“It isn’t Christmas yet,� Mother answered, with a laugh. “Here, Martha,� she quickly said to the maid. “Take this doll. It’s for Dorothy’s birthday to-morrow. Hide it away on top of a closet shelf where Dorothy’ll not see it.�
The doll was laid away on a shelf in a dark closet. That is, it was dark for a time, but, after a while, the Sawdust Doll began to see things faintly, just as she used to look at things on the shelves and counters of the toy store.
“Hello! Who’s there?� suddenly asked a voice of the Sawdust Doll, and she knew, right away, that it was a toy, like herself, speaking. But all she could dimly see was a small, square box in one corner of the top clothes’-press shelf.
“Hello!� said a voice again.