The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1897-09-10
me an couldn't see the picter begin
tn stnn1 out ~ che nhientn1


to stand out?" she objected
"You may come round once in awhile
and look" the young man promised.
This seemed TO be the kecnest person
he had found yet in the mountains,
where most of the people in their own
obscure way are shrewd.
She stood a moment pondering. "Pll
do hit," she said. IF you-uus-'ll keep
talkin' to me bout them ar dolls, like
you was talllin' to the foreigner. You
know l amt never seed real doll.
Nanny had one when she was little,
cause she lived in the settlement; but
my aunt, what lives in Crookneck Cove,
smashed hits Lead on stone a-playin'
with hit, so ain't never seed doll"
| Her face was very wistful-too visit
full for the picture that the artist want
, ed. "Did tell you about the kind that
have eyes that open and shut?" he
asked, as he chose brush.
Georgia looked at him eagerly. II
wisht you'd tell hit over ter me-" she
said.
"!lll right" said the stranger, I'll
tell you about every doll ever saw"
i and he began to work. Georgia could
not watch the picture of her own face
as it stood swiftly out from the fresh
canvas on the easel. but her eyes grew
each moment softer and brighter and
more bewildering to paint as
they saw another picture all
in words unfold against the
background of the forest. The shad-
ows heightened on the mountains, Civ
ing them the look of listening, too, for
they had seen no dolls but Georgia's in
all their years. Georgia was used to
marking the hours by the mountains,
as if they were great dials which had
been placed in sight so that her mother
would not need to scold her for coming
home too late, and yet she did not no.
tice how the purple twilight spread
! from the ravines and rose from slope
to slope. The lowest spur of Crabs
Claw sank beneath it, and that meant
that it was time for putting all her dolls
to bed; but she was turning back the
coverlet of real dolls bed far in the
north. The whole of Crabs Claw sank
beneath the golden level of the SUM-
beams, and she should have started
home; but she was where a myriad
glistening lights were making all the
marvellous world as white as day, and
groups of people fingered by great Win
dows full of toys. The sunset fingered
on old Bald Top in the east, just as a
patient comrade fingers and calls again.
The young man got up from his stool
and stuck his brushes through his
palette just as Bald Top faded in shad-
ow, and only Old Surly lifted it's frown-
ing head into the whole glory of the
west. He had put the last touch on
his picture, and he walked away and
Georgia sprang to her feet and went
around to see. She was little numb
from sitting still SO long. Happy
kingdom! but hits just like looking in
ter the spring er the water bucket"
she cried, nervously. I'm right much
better favored than the fureigner," she
| added, glancing down where he had
been dropped and forgotten at the side
of the tree. 1t seemed unreal to come
back into her little homemade world
after all that she had seen. Even her
mountain people as they stared up at
her with their innocent faces made her
heart begin to ache. The sun was out of
sight, and the stranger was packing UP
his box. sis you-uns goin'. too9" she
asked.
"Oh, yes" he said. I'm going UP
north where the dolls are. | wish |
didn't have to go.''
HRnf vou'ye ODlv noipta6 ono of
mounting people" "she pleaded, point
ing down at them. 1t did not quite
seem possible that, after one such
golden day, there should be to-mor-
row when she would have nothing but
! her silent mountains and her tiny,
silent dolls.
The stranger looked at the dolls as
they lay patiently waiting for their
portraits in a row along the root. "And
l haven't finished the Jail, either" he
laughed. 81 shall have to leave all that
to you. Good-by." He held out his
| hand.
Georgia took it mutely, The twilight
hush had risen so that 1t filled the clear
ing round the playhouse tree. 1t
seemed so pitiful to leave her standing
all alone in 1t that sudden regret
came into the strangers face. I'm aw-
fully sorry to CO." he said.
A little sob choked Georgia. "Sor-
ry!" she cried; when you're goin' to
see them dolls?"
The stranger put his other hand over
the hand of hers he held, "4pu dear
little child" he said, "don't you know
that I am going to send one OF those
dolls to you?"
"Oh," breathed Georgia. The stran-
ger was tramping Off into the woods,
but the twilight was no longer lone
ly now. She stood with clasped hands
watching until the trees and the dim
ness shut him out of sight. The sun
set colprs fingered, but the moon rose
over Bald Top, and. knowing that even
the happiest little girl In all the noun
tains must not stay out after the light
has left the west, it silvered the shad-
Owy path in front of her and led her
home.-Outlook.
Rehections of Bachelor.