Read The Cats in the Doll Shop for Free Online Page B

hunt all over to find a big, thick needle. Best of all is when I go through the box one more time and find a few twisted doll’s belts with tiny gold-colored buckles. I pull the buckles off two of them and attach them to the flap of the satchel. Now it can be opened and closed, just like a real satchel.
    The last thing I want to do is paint a few freckles across her nose, so I find the tubes of paint and a handful of brushes. Choosing a thick one for mixing, I create a color somewhere between orange and brown. Then, using the thinnest brush in the bunch, I dot tiny freckles on the doll’s face. “Anna!” calls Mama. Her voice sounds just a smidgen irritated. “Anna, you need to get ready for bed.”
    â€œJust in time,” I say to the doll. “Now all you need is a name.” And as soon as I have said those words, the name comes to me: Shannon. Shannon is the name of an Irish river. Kathleen has a sister back in Ireland named for it. She’s told me all about her.
    â€œAnna!” Mama calls again. “Anna, I do mean now!”
    â€œI’ll be right there!” I call back. And grabbing Shannon the School Girl under my arm, I flip off all the lights and take the stairs two at a time.

7
    W ELCOME, TANIA
    The next day, I wake up early, before anyone else in the family. I’m just so excited about Tania’s arrival. Quietly, I get dressed and remove Shannon from her hiding place under my pillow. I am just as pleased with the doll this morning as I was last night. Maybe even more. I look at her cheery freckles and pat her orangey-red hair and tuck her way back under the pillow before my sisters wake up. Even though Mama and Kathleen know about the doll, no one has actually seen her yet. I want Tania to be the first.
    At school we have a special assembly during which a group of actors performs a play. It is Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and it is set in a lush forest filled with fairies, spirits, and all kinds of magic. Later, during our geography lesson, we draw maps of Europe. Miss Marsh is back and says my map is so well done that she picks it as an example to show to the whole class. I took special care with drawing and coloring Russia, because that’s where Tania was born. Even our arithmetic lesson is not too bad today. Miss Marsh has brought in several loaves of pound cakes that we have to divide into different fractional pieces. When the lesson is over, we get to eat the cake. It’s delicious.
    Three o’clock comes sooner than I expect. I meet my sisters right outside school, and once again, we race home after school. This time when we get there, Papa is gone—a good sign!—and Mama is in the shop with Kathleen and Michael. Today Michael is whistling while he stacks the boxes. He whistles better than anyone I have ever heard.
    â€œHow did the doll turn out?” Kathleen asks. I know she means to be kind, but I shake my head and whisper, “Not yet.” She nods and doesn’t say anything else about it. Fortunately, neither Sophie nor Trudie seems to have heard her question. Today Kathleen is working on a group of fairy dolls, which have wings made of wire and gauze that attach to their shoulders. She sews a few tiny sequins on each wing. They remind me of Titania, the beautiful queen of the fairies in the play we saw today.
    â€œWhen will Papa be home?” Trudie asks.
    â€œI don’t know,” Mama answers. She turns to Sophie. “Why don’t you girls start your lessons? That way you’ll have gotten some of them done before your cousin gets here.” Sophie goes into the kitchen and Trudie follows. I’ll go, too, but first I pause so I can say something to Kathleen.
    â€œI promise I’ll show you the doll later,” I tell her. “But for now, I wanted it to be a surprise.”
    â€œNo need to worry, darlin’,” says Kathleen, head bent over her sewing. “I can keep a