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"Oh Thank you, Boggs Please co back

He earing a pair of dark, silk slacks, black leather slippers, a burgundy s jacket and held a white one out or hadn't yet been lit

Boggs started away and I entered the cottage I hadn't seen it all through the s at night The ss over the dark wood floor There were two settees, a threeseater and a two-seater, a small butler's table and some antique lamps The fireplace had white marble around it

"I actually built this little cottage forto be her dollhouse," my Greatuncle Richard said sadly Then he smiled As you'll see, I've improved it a bit over time"

He led stone hallway led to the s The cottage had only the one bedrooe mirror-fitted wardrobe and some sed It still had the pink and white wallpaper with the cartoon characters, but gone were the dolls on shelves, the small mauve-colored desk and chair, and the storybook pictures In their places were a er desk and chair, old theater and azines on the desk and shelves Soazines looked years old, but there were a few that looked recent

The vanity table had new brushes and combs, bottles of perfume and bath powders There was also a tray of makeup with a variety of lipsticks, eye shadow and eyeliner I noticed that the comforter and the pillowcases were different as well In short, everything looked like it belonged to soirl who had lived here had grown up overnight

A flutter of panic made my heart skip when I turned and looked back at Great-uncle Richard He had a strange, twisted s at me madly

"It's nice, isn't it? Sort of what I ie," he said in a soft, drea back his hair, "I guess we can start"

"Start?"

"I thought I'd take advantage of the abrupt change in plans today, especially since everything is ready I didn't expect Mrs Endfield to get sick, but since she has why not ood use of the opportunity?" He crossed the bedroom and opened the closet "I've chosen these dresses carefully," he explained, stepping back so I could see them all "Each fits a different sort of social occasion, from casual to formal"

I crossed to the closet and looked at the dresses The first had a faded depart and when I held out the dress and looked at it, I realized it was not a very recent purchase It wasn't really my size, but a size too small

"Are you saying you bought these dresses for me?" "Of course," he said

"But these would all be too tight onmy exact size?"

"Oh, don't worry about how it looks,you in any of this will be me, and yourself of course, but just consider them all to be costumes"

"Costumes?"