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"You ree," Jackie told Barbara "By the way, how old are you, anyway?"

Barbara did not want her idol to know she was not yet eighteen It

"A little under twenty," she admitted

"Well, then we are a lot alike I lived a lot before I enty, too"

So Barbara had seen in the ranch house puzzled her

She thought it would be an appropriate ti to ask you, if you don't ed

"I've seen a lot of dolls in the house, in your roouest rooms It just surprises me, to see so many dolls here"

"I've collected dolls for years, and there is an explanation for it I rarely had a doll when I was a little girl When I was in my early teens I lived with foster parents in Millville, a sawmill town in Florida As Christ diapers forcare of their children But they were too broke to pay me, so I had no money to buy myself a Christmas present

"I saw a beautiful doll in a storeand wanted it badly She had curly blonde hair, brown eyes, painted cheeks, and wore real doll clothes I just loved her, but even if I had enough money, she wasn't for sale She was a prize in a contest You got a ticket for every twenty-five cents worth of toys you bought there So for three weeks before Christmas I dreater from wells for wo I earned fifty cents and bought two tickets on the doll

"The draas held on Christmas Eve I could hardly believe it, but I won the doll!"

Barbara was just as thrilled, listening to the story

"But when I brought the doll hoive it to irl Willie Mae as a Christive up the doll I adored Ever since then, I've collected dolls But ot it back, then!" Barbara said happily

"Yes, but not until years later," Jackie explained "I have a hted I orking in Antoine's beauty salon at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City Who should corown up by then, but broke, and had a child of her own She asked if I could help her with soive me my doll back"