Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-10-31

"sUh, 10 Ain,' nd, feeling - familiar
With the name q II bad known It al my
lie. But he's not your fatherr
..She shook her head emphaticallv.
But Of course he's relationf
"Another shake Of the bad
"sBut Won belong to hinF said, consider.
shly pushed. Where were you bornf
"T wasn't born at al, answered Matt. I
come ashore
sThis was what the immortal Dick Swivel
lr would have called sstaggerer.' Hooked
At the xirl again, inspecting her curiously
from top to toe. Without taking her eyes
from mine, she stood on one leg bashfully,
and hdgeted with the other foot. She was
certainly not bad-looking, though evidently
very rough diamond. Even the extraordin-
ary headgear became her well.
"T know what you was doing there she
cried suddenly, pointing to my easel. You
was paintingp
s'The discovery not being a brilliant one,
took no trouble to confirm it; but Matt there
upon walked over to the canvas and, STOPPING
down, examined it with undisguised curiosity.
Presently she glanced again at me-
"I know what this is she cried, pointing.
TITS water. And that's the sky. And that's
trees. And these here'-for q moment she
Snow, as the subject represented flock Of
sheep budding together close to pond on a
rainy common, this suggestion was not over
complimentary to my artistic skill. was on
the point of correcting my astute critic when
she added, after q moments further inspec-
ton:
"'No; they'resh Look ye now, know
They're sheep
"'Pray don't touch the paint, suggested,
approaching her in some alarm. 1t is wet,
and comes off,
''She drew back cautiously; and then, as
preliminary to further conversation, sat down
ON the grass, giving me further occasion to
remark her length and shapeliness Of limb.
There was a free and-easiness, not to say bold
ness, about her manner, tempered though it
was with gusts Of bashfulness which began to
amuse me.
"'Can you paint facesp she asked, du,
biously.
II replied that could even aspire to that
accomplishment, by which understood her
to mean portrait painting, if need were. She
gave quiet nod Of satisfaction.
"'There was painter chap came to Aber-
glyn last summer, and he painted William
Jones'
"IndeedP I said, with an assumption Of
friendly interest
"'Yes; wanted him to paint me, but he
wouldn't. He painted William Jones' father;
though, along O. William JONES'
''This with an air Of unmistakable disgust
and recrimination. looked at the girl more
observantly. 1t had never occurred to me
till that moment that she would make q capi-
tai picture-just the sort of study which
would fecth fair price in the market. ]
oID tod har ov,I
was contagious, and sat down on the grass
opposite to her.
"'I tell you what it is, Matt said, f.
miliarly, I'll paint you, though the other
painter chap wouldn't
"'You WILL she cried, blushing with de-
light
"'Certainly; and a very nice portrait
think you'll make. Be good enough to take
off your hat, that may have better look
at YOU ---
''She obeyed me at once, and threw the
clumsy thing down ON the grass beside her.
She glanced at me sidelong, laughing, and
showed her white teeth. Whatever her age
was, she was quite old enough to be coquette.
promptly as possible put the question:
You have not told me how old you are
Fifteen, she replied, without hesitation.
81 should have taken you to be at least q
year Older
''She shook her head.
"'It's fifteen year come Whitsuntide,' she
explained, since come ashore
although I was not a little curious to know
what this coming ashore meant, felt that
all my conversation had been categorical to
mcnotony, and determined, therefore, to
reserve further inquiry until another occa-
sion. Observing that my now friend was
now looking at the caravan with considerable
interest, asked her if she knew what it was,
and if she had seen anything like it before
She replied in the negative, though think
she had a tolcrably good guess as to the cara
vans uses. l thought this a good opportun-
ity to show my natural politeness. Would
she like to look at the interiora She said she
would, though without exhibiting much en-
thusiasm.
II thereupon led the way up the steps and
into the vehicle. Matt followed but, so soon
as she caught glimpse of the interior, stood
timidly on the threshold. What is there in
the atmosphere Of a house, even the rudest,
which places the visitor at disadvantage as
compared with the owner9 Even animals
feel this, and dogs especially, when visiting
strange premises, exhibit most abject hui
mility. But l must not generalize. The
bearings of this remark, to quote my friend
Capt. Cutie, lies in the application Of It.
Matt for a moment was awed
Come in Matt; come in,' said
"She came in by slow degrees; and no
ticed, for the first time seeing how near her
hat was to the roof-that she was unusually
tall. l then did the honors of the place:
showed her my sleeping arrangements, my
culinary implements, everything that ]
thought would interest her. l offered her the
armchair, or turned-up bedstead; but she
preferred a stool which sometimes used for
my feet, and, sitting down upon it, looked
round her with obvious admiration.
"'shou.d you like to live in house like
thisF as-.ed, encourasingly.
''She shock her head with decision.
"'Why notP demanded.
"She did not exactly know why, or at any
rate could not explain. Wishing to interest
and amuse her, handed her a portfolio Of
my sketches, chiefly in pencil and pen-and-
ink, but a few in water coiors. Her manner
changed at once, and she turned them over
with little cries Of delight It was clear that
Matt had a taste for the beautiful in art, but
her chief attraction was for pictures repre-
senting the human face and figure.
"Among the sketches she found a crayop
drawing of an antique and blear-eyed gentle
man in a skull cap, copied from some Rem
bran,ltish picture had seen abroad
az know who this is r she exclaimed.
It's William Jones' fatherr
VI assured her on ny honor that William
Jones' father was not PERSONAL known IN