her mother's
horror. Mrs. Halford promptly gave her a liberal dose of castor oil and
she was never able to repeat the wonderful feat.

At least six dolls were re-christened Rosamond Clifford, and seven
others promptly became Cousin Maud. Marbles and tag and the usual spring
outdoor sports were neglected while they planned doll elopements or
family quarrels, and locked the tiny heroines in dark closets.

Chicken Little was in great demand on these occasions because she had
learned some of the choicest scenes in the stories by heart and she
would talk for the dolls.

"My, you do Dr. Kennedy just grand!" said Katy stirred out of her usual
calm by a thrilling scene in which her prettiest doll had defied a cruel
stepfather made from a stick of stove-wood.

"It's awful easy," Jane responded modestly. "I've read it so often I can
say it most all, and I just try to act mad."

The epidemic of play-acting among the dolls gave Katy's practical
talents a chance also. There was a great demand for boy dolls. One badly
damaged tin soldier and a fat sailor boy were all that could be found.
But Katy was ingenious. She took her tallest doll and made her a
complete outfit of men's clothes including a cunning straw hat with a
black band. She sheared Angelina's blonde wig short and painted a smart
black mustache on her rosebud mouth.

Angie was so changed she wouldn't have known herself in the glass. But
she didn't need to. She became Horatio Seymour and was never permitted
to wear petticoats again.

The other children were so charmed, Katy was besieged with teasing to
make over their dolls. It was no small job and after being obliging once
or twice, Katy had the happy thought of charging fifteen cents for the
transformation.

This was more money than most of the little girls had, so they took to
borrowing boy dolls. Horatio Seymour was much over-worked. He took the
parts of villain, lover and irate father on an average of at least once
every day and from two to three times on Saturdays. Katy had to put a
little stick up his back-bone, he got so limp.

But the interest in this doll lovering began to wane after a time. The
children looked about for something else exciting. They began to make
Horatios out of the boys they knew. Some of the older girls started
writing notes, and the smaller ones hung round breathlessly to hear the
answers read. The boys were not always responsive. This was the height
of the marble season and most o