40 Make-Believe

she did not speak at once. Then, “We
must get her something nice when Christ-
mas is over and the shops are open again,”
she said, not attempting to explain how it
was she had forgotten the day of which.
she had been talking but a few minutes
before Doris went to bed.

Doris was almost grieved. ‘To think
you should forget! Still, it came all right,
for the painter gave me everything I
wanted. I don’t believe there'll be any-
thing left for you to give me but choco-
lates.” Then she went back to her room,
and in a few minutes was telling the story
to Martha, who came to dress her. Martha,
as you are aware, behaved unworthily, but
it really didn’t matter. Her foolish incre-
dulity only made Doris fonder of the gifts
of the Magic Painter, and every one who
has since been trusted with the secret of
how they came to Doris has agreed that to
say she dreamed the whole story would be
to talk absurdly.