GRANNY'S SECRET BOX

Evening Star, Issue 21216, 24 September 1932, Page 5

GRANNY'S SECRET BOX

A GOOD-NIGHT TALE Granny Lovelock had a box—a mysterious, locked box—containing secrets, so the village people said. Everyone in the village knew it, for; it stood on granny’s dresser, just within the entrance to her cottage; but' its contents were a mystery, and so it became a subject for gossip. Some said tliat in it granny had “something put by,” meaning a small fortune; romantio busybodies whispered of love letters tied with faded ribbon. But nobody knew, and after granny’s death the box was found to be empty. It hadn’t always been empty. Years before Peggy and Hilly, the village twins, each had a present of a beautiful doll’s perambulator and a charming baby doll to go in it given them on their seventh birthday. They were the envy of all the village children as they set off with their new toys down the lane. When they reached Granny Lovelock’s co+tage they had quite a crowd with them. Granny was at her gate as the procession passed. “ Goodness me,” she said, as she stooped down to peep under the hoods, “I never had a dolly like that!” “What sort of doll did you have?’*' asked Hilly. “ Just a wooden one,” answered granny, and all the children laughed loudly. “But I loved her!” granny added earnestly; and . the children roared again. Granny’s lips tightened as she went back indoors. Late that-night, when, lamps were lit and Peggy and Hilly were in bed, tha. old lady took a little key from her purse, brought ’the box—the famous, secret box—from the dresser, put it on the lamp-lit table, and unlocked the lid. Then very gently she lifted out a lavender-scented bundle which she carefully unwrapped, and there lay A wooden doll. It was a battered, wooden Betty, such as all our grannies ‘used to have; its wooden body clothed in a long print frock, one of its wooden arms missing (it never had any legs!). Its head was a round wooden ball, its poor face brown and scarred, its hair a ginger woollen mat, fastened oh the top with a big-headed nail. Not a thing of beauty. Granny lifted this poor doll wiry carefully, and kissed her once. Then she took' her to the fire and burned her, clothes, lavender wrapper, and all. And while Wooden Betty passed away granny closed the box, put it back on. the dresser, and threw the little key. into the ashes. “ No one shall make fun of her! No one shall ever make fun of her!” sha muttered as she went up to her bed. - And that is why, when granny died, neighbours found the mysterious box empty. -