Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-05-13
"Ho,o are ,,ou2n Tsoid. oauantl,l

SShe nodded in reply, and, STOPPING down,
plucked long blade of grass, which she
placed in her mouth and began to nibble-
bashfully, l thought.
" May ask where you come fromp said.
Il mean, where do you hvep
without speaking, she stretched out her
arm and pointed across the lake in the direc-
ton of the sea. / could not help noticing
then, as an artist, that the sleeve of her gown
was loose and torn, and that her arm was
round and we'll formed, and her hand, though
rough and n-burned, quite genteelly small
IL it is not inquisitive, may ask your
namep
+" Matt, was the reply.
SIS that all? What is you other namep
" I've got no other name. I'm Matt, I
am
" Indeed Do your parents live hereP
" Got no parents, was the reply.
Your relations, then. You belong to
some one, IsupposeP
''She gave me another nod.
=" Yes, she answered, nibbling rapidly. 4
belong to William JONES'
"'Oh, to him. said, feeling as familiar
with the name as if / had known it all my
life. But he's not your fatherp
''She shook her head emphatically.
" But of course he's relation?
another shake of the head.
ss'But you belong to him? / said, consider
ably puzzled. Where were you bornF
g L wasn't born at ALL answered Matt. i
come ashore
''This was what the immortal Dick Swivel
Ter would have called 'staggerer.' looked
at the girl again, inspecting her curiously
from top to toe. Without taking her eyes
from mine, she stood on one leg bashfully,
and fidgeted with the other foot. She was
certainly not bad-looking, though evidently a
very rough diamond. Even the extraordin-
airy headgear became her well.
''I know what you was doing there she
cried suddenly, pointing to my easel. You
was paintingp
''The discovery not being brilliant one,
look 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-
g 4 know what this is, she cried, pointing
It's water And that's the sky. And that's
trees. And these here'-for moment she
seemed in doubt, but added, hastily-'pigs'
Snow, as the subject represented flock of
sheep budding together close to pond on
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 a moments further inspec-
ton:
emo; they're sheep. Look We 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 q free-and-easiness, not to say bold
ness, about her manner, tempered though it
was with gusts of bashfulness which began to
amrse me.
"'Can you paint facesp she asked, du-
biously.
Ireplied 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 o painter chap came to Aber.
glyn last summer, and he painted William
Jones'
'''IndeedP I said, with an assumption Of
friendly interest
sssYes; wanted him to paint me, but he
wouldn't. He painted William Jones' father.
though, along o. William Jones'
s'This with an air Of unmistakable disgust
d1AQ 1tC4 Il AOShNsA az tue RlT1 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 a fair price in the market. ]
adopted her free-and-easy manner, which
was contagious, and sat down on the grass
opposite to her.
81 tell you what it is, Matt / said, ia.
miliarly, m 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 hayes 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
g Fifteen, she replied, without hesitation.
ss'I should have taken you to be at least q
year older
ssShe shook her head.
.sIt's fifteen year come Whitsuntide,, she
explained, since come ashore
Although was not little curious to know
what this coming ashore meant, / felt that
all my conversation had been categorical 70