The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1881-07-28
HEIGHO! DAISIES AND BUITERCUPs.


swered, looking up into his face, with q
gay little half-defant laugh.
It seemed the best name for her, GER
tainly, as she sat there on the messy
meadow bank, beside the brook, with the
small golden blossoms starring all the
sward about her. She had thrown her
hat by, on the grass, and had tucked
o bunch of the same gold-burnished
cups into the loose knot, of her hair,
which here and there had much the
same bright glow and CLINT. And as
bright as sunshine was the light in the
round laughing eyes she lifted to the
young man who had just paused across
the brook, with only that babbling hurry
of ripples between him and her sunny
resting place.
He looked more than half-minded to
set the barriers at naught.
"D.ar little Buttercup," he quoted in
his turn, half under his breath; at least
in a tone which the girl need not hear if
she did not choose.
Whether she did or not he was at a
loss to guess, her next quotation being
as applicable to her own preceding
speech as to his.
I'm sure could never tell why"
-demurely plucking at her lapful of
flowers, with the prettlest rosy tips of
fingers. "But my name," she said pres
emily, looking up at him again, won't
help to guide you to Woodvale, where
You say you want to go. You must fol-
low this brook-no, no, not on this
side," she added hastily, seeing him
glance about him for convenient spot
at which to spring across to her. "You
must keep on, along the bank you are
on, until you come to where two path
ways fork"
''But, you see, lose myself so east
ly!" He shot u furtive laughing glance
at her from under the slouched brim of
his straw hat; glance which he meant
her to miss, and which he fancied from
her unmoved face, she did. "YOur
namesakes, all the little buttercups, are
climbing up my side of the bank, and
think you ought to be among them, to
insure my not straying from the right
road"
She got up, dropped him the demurest
of courtesies, taking hold of the skirt OF
her brown Holland frock, with her two
hands full as they we're of the field flow
ers she had gathered.
"Tll show you the way with pleasure.
SIR" she said-"only you must keep on
that side, on your own side, or you can't
90 right. There is no need for me to
cross, thank you, drawing back as he
would have reached forward to help her.
81 can show you the way from here;
and our paths don't lie in the same di-
rection."
II am sorry to hear that; but won't
thew sometimes CROSSE" he asked, with q
touch of meaning in his voice, at which
many rustic coquette would have
bridled or looked conscious. But this
girl lifted her eyes to him innocently,
shaking her head.
"No, indeed; how should they, with
the brook growing wider and widcr be-
tween them? You see, it is too wide al
ready"-for they had both been walking
on as they spoke. 'And here we are at
the fork. That is your path, to the left;
it takes you straight to Woodvale."
With q hasty nod, before he knew what
she would do. she had turned and pushed
her way amidst clump of alders stray
Cling toward the stream just there upon
her side. Upon the other. the young
man stopped short; but all that he could
see was the shaking of the green boughs
that hid her from his view, as she went
through them.
II he could have had glimpse between
those boughs, he would have been sur
prised by the pantomime enacted there.
For little Buttercup no sooner found
herself alone in her green covert, than
she let fall all the golden blossoms she
had been carrying, and brought her two
empty hands together with q soundless
clap Of delight; then she executed pir-
ouquette Enthusiastically expressive OF the
same feeling; and lastly wheeling around
lightly o tip-toe. until she faced in the
direction the stranger had taken, she
blew an airy kiss daintily from the tips
of her fingers-a kiss, no hint of which,
she knew, could possibly reach him
through the intercepting branches. Then
demurely picking up her hat, which had
dropped from her arm during all this by
play, she struck into o path which led
her back in the very direction whence
she had come. It was easy enough to
spring across the brooklet there; and of.
ter awhile. but slowly, she was following
the self same way which he had taken an
hour before her. So soon, for all she
had said to the contrary, did their paths
GROSS! at.4
The man. meantime, after standing
disconnected for moment, gazing at the
spot where she had disappeared. and
vhere that pantomimo was being enacted