Mary Jane

Mary Jane stood on the curbstone and stared into the middle of the street. Her face was white with fright and the tears which had not as yet come were close to her big blue eyes. Her little fists were clinched and even her perky plaid hair ribbon seemed to show amazement. And wasn't it enough to make any little girl stare? Her big, beautiful doll, the one that came at Christmas time, lay crushed and broken in the middle of the street! Its glossy brown hair matted in the dust; its dainty pink dress torn and dirty and its great brown eyes crushed to powder! For a full minute Mary Jane stared at the wreck that had been her doll. Then she turned and ran screaming toward the house. Mrs. Merrill heard her and met her at the front steps. "Mary Jane! Dear child!" she cried, "what is the matter? Tell mother what has happened!" "My doll! My beautifulest doll!" sobbed Mary Jane, "my Marie Georgianna is all run over!"