The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-02-14

Kenneth 6rahams Dryad
t.....tf, et.hafre WAS ahead OF most
l.r- tU one Icspc. {. even though MS
SCHOOL Itr,Its dId c.use head-shahlhba on
tI. part oi nls Immediate lti"tlNts' anu
this Was tree dt} ADS. III
Ife lad quite settled TIE subject 10 ms
s.rsfl,uCu 10 nc sure Tommy SmllI'
who had mo- soul above marbles ana pre-
fcred au Arithmetic 10 1ilmm lazy
tales. only smiled "Huh. conl'i"''"Vu'-
Ia whom keirtfh soniided &c MN one
,ninv afternoon as they were drumming
on fn. t,fDdoNutnc OF the Grhhdmc slt-
tue-r0om that sine big oak tree oulsiUc
contained "a bc4uuiW ot!" 49,, ,o,.,,t,.
alt o1.s. j suy.' Kenneth said loudly
'o t H,.,i se l her. asked the skepucal
Tommy. who had a genius fer un- ON
No" Kenneth answered. IN small
s,bducd voice. after "a pause. .,,. .t,,,,
-Uunl" said Tommy atain' liIa tiiID
trlumphanuy. And soon "i'r' Iii
fricnda olarrclod over NOTHING ih pan u,
ular. and Tommy sp.sshcd nome '' '"0
rain. t. emf ou the
front steps rather lonesome, ut,a1t
Tommy had not been visible ail naf'
,yaa still acerieved at tine lhaii''l
which his friend had utA''u az" ,..''se
donco in regard 10 the cI4 "V, 'lis
be loved 10 think stories about ui "Ue'
,rct.llv when he sat. as now, LOT ln-
stance. with his head against inc n"''ts
euclies and his eyes turned Np mo s,',
,uveterious evening darkness OF W. ,,
toe There were frciies spar hl."s IN,
casicnally in the air ana one ~ ' he
49, vi, E.nUeth.s hand. then as ne
sdiv watched 10 the flaming lnacl ,d
6izzlv toward the great oaN Ht,..,..,,
snun around like am animal,o Voi .[,,o
'frEere WAS a. cracking tou"us H.
chipe of the bark fell on anu It ,,, rol-
eide ~ the tree trunk toppled ouD hNt
lv,inf- IL was "a sharp cry OF ue7p" az;
fhe door is broken-WhateNci snai' eoft
and cut fiuttercd slbh' '9N' tb nf
,,,,,ss,. draupriss Size stood IT'D d '",u tt
lloS.i, t.t,t frirhfoued and stunned, WINE
i.cnmctb ran toward her with mum i..'E
bcsrt or course. he was not scaieu, ~,
he had known all alons thal 'no'0 W.
diyads. ,...,,,odo,, she STAN
- IA. felt 0uccr. and was altose'I''
Odd that Tommy smith was HO' -" 80
an. little creature only NIrnh,
hands and mOancd. W I"t 5''''' r,,shed
Iire0v was SO awkward, anu j
80 t.r1 that the hinge broke anu of,
..N.y.r mind" said kenneth, bIal."is
H.. vy.a once. mere master or the sltu"
ZION when hinges were IN quesu YH' GU
besides she was so very t"s, "i.'' dxed
ing TO his shoulder. Never inlhu' 49, tc
a hinge on our Kitchen door. ana "e
ener INTO the house and was pach lh "
minute with his case of tools. ,..,
"You are very good. salu the vi Az
moro happily leading the way INTO ne.
In,,r aYou'ye saved me from beins
roasted TO death. I'm not partial TO
@What2' cried Kenneth aghast This
certainly was "a curious creature.
-Stuuidr' she snapped. stamping hel
foot. what do You suppose / m mere ioi
II not TO take care Of my ucc' IL ""s
thing happened TO IL anu hins -. -, nU-
found lt out he'd transfer me 10 sumo
frewOOd. and Id-Eo up ln smoke. -
Kenneth began TO feel unhappy. me
trce-trunk was dark inside ana ndu ue
fragrance of dead leaves ana iiesh Ih'iu'
lie did not know how he was golne 10
work i'm the dark ness. Suddenly thcre
was a snap and the whole interior glow
ed with a. blue brilliance. Inc oiN"o
locked at Kenneth reassuringiy' her gray
ewes twinllled. "l only turned on the car
rent" she explained THE e'ecIlc "0'N'
Below" repeated Kenneth. confusedly
"Oh. below the first day of the end Of
the time that will never come. she re-
tortcd. 'I mean she went on. mere pS
tientlv. "bolow tho tree Of course. III YOU
nx the hinge maybe III show YOU the
shops. though nm get sco!dng lor IL
oh there are some great oolngs dcWi
there" and She laughed and spun aroun(
I'm a wild dance til the birds in tht
branches above cnirped In protest.
Tho Dryad looked immensely pleased
when the hinge was fastened ON. 81 b@
hcve YOU are clever she announced
land deserve a reward. lIl take you "a
the shops. I'm fact she went on. as The
door swung shut with little click, III
have TO. You can open that door from
the inside. and Fireiy won Zoe arOun'
Tor another three months. You will have
TO 10 through the shops 20 the hollow Gal
tree trunk in the next yard TO set on
again c,
H.. f.Nf fTr "a l4I o
and be sincerely wished Tommy Smi'
were on the outside of that tree with nj
strong fist. There would be nc gloom
trips under ground in that case Let %
70 a. once" he said. 1t might as we
IL over with But where are the stairs
stairs" repeated the dryad scoru
fully. you must think YOU have all On
improvements TO yourSef outside. W
got boyond tho stairs long ago. >
Kenneth dropped promptly and nc
ficed that what he had supposed 10 b
ground was in reality polished oake
moor. The dryad touched an electr
bell IN the side OF tho tree and they rapC
iy descended. The light had been cut a
and the air grew cool and damp. Thci
were long. dark arms surrounding then
and the dryad told him they were root
and that iu the larept one was the run
Of the staircase she had uscQ before th
elevator was put I'm.
The elevator stopped midway, an
Kenneth saw a. square pallu or 1871
against the darkness through which pol
ped the oldest figure he had ever seel
il was "A little old man dressed la mold
gray clothes. His nose was tremendous
sharp. while an enormous pair Of gOggi,
lid half his face. lie carried "a bask,
filled with "A pale greenish stun.
"Uhpm" he said. gruiiy. a. he survey
ed the two. you are "a nice guardian Z
"a fourishing oak tree. / must say, Who
this2" turning sharply on Kenneth.
Don't scold, Tinty," implored the dry
ad 80 meekly that Kenneth hardly KNEE
Ter. "IIe got shut I'm and
That's enough. miss. roared the Il
rocious little man. land how do YOU e'
plain the fact that ne was there a. -
shut in?'
The elevator stopped al tho bottom
the shaft with such bump that N
three passengers were tumbled Ia a COZ
ner and Tnty spilled his basket OF gree
stuff lie arose with his goggles askeS
shaking with rage.
Now. do you see what you've done!
he shouted Il shall have 10 make n
hsck 10 mn this basket az the supp
station. and Chlorophyll IS tearing oioui
down here on account OF nc iush OF nc
,eave. and branches Next tifnc Nou ny
',s, $50 elevator let me know. VIII yea
Kenneth felt rather awkward HnTn
this familiar quarrel, aud was plcktns
the green stun and renlling 'he oss ,s,
for want Of something better 70 40. ~
Old man saw him and was paclpeo' 10