The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-12-03

SpectiiS HOT cuTlouSly from top to toe.
Without taking her eyes from mine
she stood on one leg bashfully and
tidgctcd with the other foot She was
certainly not bad looking, though evil
IDENTITY very rough diamond. Even
the extraordinary headgear became her
we'll
I know what You was doing there
she cried, suddenly, pointing to my
easel. You was paintingr
The discovery not being brilliant
one. took no trouble to confirm it;
but Matt thereupon walked over to the
canvas, and, STOPPING down, examined
it with undisguised curiosity. Present.
ly she glanced again at me.
~ know what this isl 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'
Now, as the subject represented a
flock of sheep budding together close
to pond on rainy common. this sug-
gestion was not over complimentary
to my artistic skill. | was on the
point of correcting my astute critic,
when she added, after a moments fur
Their inspections:
No. they're sheep Look We now,
know They're sheep
Pray don't touch the paint / sug-
gested. approaching her in some alarm.
1t is wet and comes off,
She drew back cautiously: and then
as preliminary to further convcrsa-
ton sat down on the grass, giving me
further occasion to remark her length
and shapeliness of limb. There was Il
free-and-easncss, not to say boldncss,
about her manner, tempered though it
was with gusts of bashfulness, which
began to amusc me.
'''Can you paint faces?' she asked,
obviously
81 replied that could even aspire to
that accomplishment, by which | un-
derStOod her to mean portrait-paint-
ing, if need were. She gave quiet
nod Of satisfaction.
"'There was n painter chap who
came to Aberglyn last summer, and he
painted William Jones'
"'Indeed?' l said, with an assump-
ton of friendly interest.
"'Ies. l wanted him to paint me.
but he wouldn't. He painted William
Jones father, though, along o. William
JONES'
This with an air of unmistakablc
disgust and rccrimination. looked
at the girl more obscrvantly. 1t had
never occurred to me till that moment
that She would make n capital picture
just the sort of study which would
fetch n fair price in the market.
adopted her free-and-casy manner,
which was contagious. and sat down
on the grass opposite to her.
"'1'll tell You what it is, Matt
said, Familiarity, ri paint you, though
the other painter chap won't
"'You will?' she cried, blushing with
delight
Certainly; and very nice portrait
l think you'll make BE good enough
to take off your hat that | may have
better look at YOU.
she obcycd me al once and threw
the clumsy thing down on the grass
beside her. Then saw that her head
was covered with short black curls
clinging round bold white brow un-
freckled by the sun. She glanced at
me sidclong. laughing. and showing
her white teeth. Whatever her age
coquctte.
promptly as possible | put the
question: You have not told me how
old YOU arc?'
"'Fiftccn,' she replied, without hest
tation.
81 should have taken YOU to be at
least year older.
she shook her head.
Its fifteen year come Whitsun-
tide she explained, since I come
ashore
although was not a little curious
TO know what this coming ashore
meant, felt that all my conversation
had been categorical to 1nonotony, and
determined, therefore, to reserve fur
Their inquiry until another occasion.
Observing that my new friend was
now looking at the caravan with CON
siderable interest, asked her if she
knew what it was, and if she had ever
seen anything like ii before. She re-
piled in the negative, though think
she had tolerably good guess as to
the caravans uses. thought this
good opportunity to show my natural
politeness Wonld she like to look at
the interior? She said she would,
though without exhibiting much en-
thusiasm.
81 thereupon led the way up the
steps and into the vehicle. Matt fol-
lowed; but, SO soon as she caught
glimpse of the interior, stood timidly
on the threshold. What is there in the
atmosphere Of house, even the rudest,
which places the visitor at disadvan-
tage as compared with the owner?
Even animals feel this, and dogs cspe-