80 Lucia, the Organ-Maiden.

Then the door at the back of the small organ-
room opened slowly, and out came a most ex-
quisite doll about ten inches high. She was
dressed in pink and had long flowing hair, and it
was really hard to decide whether her cheeks were
pinker than her smile was broad, or her smile
broader than her cheeks were pink—they were
both unmistakable.

Coming forward she bowed very low to her
audience, and as they saw nothing of the spring in
her back, or the wire that made her do so, they
all bowed politely in return, for it really seemed as
if she must be alive. Then slowly, gracefully, the
little creature danced around her pink drawing-
room in perfect time to the music. When that was
finished she bowed once more, the door at the back
opened and she disappeared.

The Pitti family were delighted. ‘Bella,
Bella, Wonderful,” they cried, and the North-
erner’s fortune was made from that day.

The organ was sold to one Paolo Cello for
quite a large sum of money, and Lucia, the little
dancing-lady, danced every day in beautiful