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>‘I wish I knew,’ said Alicia Coombe, ‘why it scares us so much…’

‘My goodness, ouldn’t be scared?’

‘Well, Ireally—just a kind of puppet that gets moved around the rooeist’

‘Now that is a good idea’

‘Yes, but I don’t really believe it I think it’s—it’s that doll’

‘Are you sure you don’t knohere she really came from?’

‘I haven’t the faintest idea,’ said Alicia ‘And the more I think of it the more I’ave her to me I think she—well, she just came’

‘Do you think she’ll—ever go?’

‘Really,’ said Alicia, ‘I don’t see why she should…She’s got all she wants’

But it seeot all she wanted The next day, when Sybil went into the showrooasp Then she called up the stairs

‘Miss Coombe, Miss Coombe, come down here’

‘What’s the matter?’

Alicia Coo a little precariously for she had rheuht knee

‘What is the matter with you, Sybil?’

‘Look Look what’s happened now’

They stood in the doorway of the showroo on a sofa, sprawled easily over the arm of it, was the doll

‘She’s got out,’ said Sybil, ‘She’s got out of that room! She wants this room as well’

Alicia Coombe sat down by the door ‘In the end,’ she said, ‘I suppose she’ll want the whole shop’

‘She ht,’ said Sybil

‘You nasty, sly,the doll ‘Why do you want to come and pester us so? We don’t want you’

It seehtly It was as though its li on the arm of the sofa and the half-hidden face looked as if it were peering from under the arm And it was a sly, malicious look

‘Horrible creature,’ said Alicia ‘I can’t bear it! I can’t bear it any longer’

Suddenly, taking Sybil completely by surprise, she dashed across the roo the doll out into the street There was a gasp and a half cry of fear from Sybil

‘Oh, Alicia, you shouldn’t have done that! I’m sure you shouldn’t have done that!’

‘I had to do so,’ said Alicia Coombe ‘I just couldn’t stand it any more’

Sybil joined her at the n below on the pavement the doll lay, loose-limbed, face down

‘You’ve killed her,’ said Sybil

‘Don’t be absurd…How can I kill so that’s made of velvet and silk, bits and pieces It’s not real’

‘It’s horribly real,’ said Sybil

Alicia caught her breath

‘Good heavens That child—’

A s over the doll on the pavement She looked up and down the street—a street that was not unduly crowded at this tih there was soh satisfied, the child bent, picked up the doll, and ran across the street

‘Stop, stop!’ called Alicia

She turned to Sybil