Izannah Walker Dream - Part 4 - The End

If you'd like to read the first 3 parts of this story, then click on the links below....

http://izannahwalkerchronicles.blogspot.com/2008/02/dream-of-owning-original-izannah-walker.html

http://izannahwalkerchronicles.blogspot.com/2008/02/izannah-walker-dream-part-2.html

http://izannahwalkerchronicles.blogspot.com/2008/02/izannah-walker-dream-part-3.html

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Izannah Walker Dream - Part Four

It's days like this that make up for the horrible times - like when you have an infant and your husband breaks his leg playing hockey. Yes, that really happened. And after that the cellar flooded, and after that the sewer backed up. And your laundry room is in the basement.

I go over to the table to write the check for my treasures I won that day.

"Well, ayuh - you got a good deal you did on that trunk of clothes, " says Sally, as she writes up my bill. "You could sell the clothes and keep the trunk and come out on top, y'could."

"OR you could sell the trunk and keep the clothes and come out on top," I counter.

"Yup. You could probably sell 2 of those dresses and come out on top. What'cha gonna do with that they-ah stuff?"

"Well, for now, I'm gonna figure out how to get it into my van by myself."

She turns and calls out, "Sheh-man! Harry! Load that trunk up for this lady instead of standing there doing nothin'."

Tall Man must be Sherman, because he turns, as does Harry and they lift the trunk to take it to my car. It's not huge, but would be heavy for me at 30 inches wide, 22 inches tall and 18 inches deep.

"Oh, thanks so much - it's the old maroon van over there."

They lift the hatch and tuck it into the back, then give me a smile and a wave. Mainers are great people.

I drive home, thinking about how I can cover the $500 expenditure. I know my husband said to have fun, but I spent much more than the $500, most of it for resale. The trunk is beautiful, with some crackling in the paint, and the stencilling is outstanding. I could see 6 little Izzy dresses that they pulled out, but haven't had a chance to look through it all. I want to save that for home. It's about 7 o'clock, and I'm about an hour away from home. The sun is setting and it's getting dark on this country road. I come to the end of Old Washboard Road and turn onto the good state highway to head home.

I get home about 8:30 and call to my husband, "Hey, honey, can you help me haul in my treasures."

"Yup, just a minute."

Out we go and bring in the trunk - I decide to bring the other treasures in later. I excitedly open the trunk and begin pulling out dresses. Inside the trunk I find

• red and blue plaid bonnet,
• a red dress with three rows of soutache braid along the hem,
• a rust colored calico dress,
• a red wool hooded cape,
• a wonderful striped dress in red, white and blue,
• a white calico print dress
• and numerous undergarments
• a coral necklace
• striped stockings
• doll sized boots that button up the side
• and a little doll sized rocking horse.

Wow. Finally I get to the bottom of the trunk. Something's a bit wierd here. The interior of the trunk is about 6 inches less deep than the outside of the trunk. I pick up the trunk, thinking maybe there's a hollow spot underneath. Nope. I look inside again and notice that there's a little gap at the back of the trunk. So I turn the trunk on it's side and pull at the bottom with my fingers - it swings out and there underneath the false bottom is the most beautiful black baby Izannah Walker doll. She's about 18" tall and is unlike the black Izannah dolls I've seen pictures of - she doesn't have the wool hair attached to the top, but has painted hair in little ringlets all over. The curls are painted with layers of umber and black and golden browns.

"What'd you get at the auction, dear?"

"Only the most beautiful Izannah Walker doll in the world." I answer. "And her wardrobe. And her trunk. For $500."

The End