The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-09-29

.tasnal company. Paudeen stared as .onIy children stare. It seemed to him that a measured and curious dance was being performed before him. The fig .ures were interwoven slowly, and in or der, and as the dancers advanced and retreated Paudeen became di1nly aware of the identity of each.
 Their gigantic stature, their curious motly garments of the color of leaves n light and shadow made it plain to him that these were the trees in human .senlblance. There was one slighter and more graceful than the rest whom he recognized as the birch, and anoth- CT. who held squirrel in his arms. Paudeen knew as the beech. He recog- nized them all, hazel, willow and pine, sycamore, hawthorn and elder.
 It was as he sat watching them that Davy McGill, whistling gayly, came down the path. Paudeen waited in blithe expectation for Dayy's cry of surprise, but it never came. He passed among the ancers as one who did not see them. Paudeen called to him; Davy looked at him without any sign of recognition and flung a fir cone at hm. Soon he had disappeared into the shadows.
 Then some instinct stirred in Pau deen, and rising, he went toward the dancer he took for the beech tree, and slipping hand into his, followed him through the dance, At the close of it, the gigantic, curious company crowded about Paudeen laughing and whisper ing. Then one of them put crown of leaves and berries on his rough red hair.
 Lift him up!" said the ash, and the beech swung him up on to his shoul- der so that he was on a level with the heads of those that thronged about him.
 There's been no one to be king of the woods since yur grandfather died, Paudeen," said the hazel And nv whisper to him where he lies asleep be- low the church, but 'tis no answer l get"
 Would you not have Davy MGill, who's the fine boy?" Paudeen asked in his small, treble voice.
 ''Davy is nothing to us, nor we to him, said the birch, but We know You. Sure there's not day don't put the comether on you, when you're working down there at those pistho- gues o letters and figures.
 And don't I tap on the chapel win dow, Paudeen?" said the beech, "so that you're nigh mad to be out of doors and climbin' in my branches"
 Paudeen stared at them and sucked his finger and laughed gleefully.
 "Och! didn't I know it all along?" said he, and he rubbed his rough head against the beech tree with a cat-like motion.
 To amuse Paudeen the trees told him stories, for they knew all that had ever happened to man and child and beast in that county; and they could sing of those things for which the heart finds no words. But in the middle of the elm trees song Paudeen fell asleep with his arms about the beech trees neck.
 He fell asleep and dreamt his old dreams again; that he lay in golden cradle among the treetops.
 Perhaps he dreamt that the cradle swung too fast and fell, for he awake with a start and found the moon shin ing upon him. He was sitting on the top-most branch of big beech tree, his arms clasped about the trunk. When he saw the moon he remem- bered his mother and father, and that he was none other than Paudeen Fox. He climbed down to the path and stood for a second in the moonlight; then swiftly he sprang toward the beech and clasping his arms and legs about the trunk, he bit the bark in a passion of exuberation.
 He ran along a lane without swerV- ing, though the daisies nodded at him and the honeysuckle beckoned, and the midsummer moon laughed over the shoulder of Slieveross. The lane led him to the road and the road guided him home.
 But he was two miles from home when he ran into the arms of Davy McGlll, who clutched him and sobbed aloud.
 God be praised PPaudeen, your mother was fit to have the life of me not looking afther you, and your fath' CT there are turnin' the world inside out to find you. 'Tis afther ten, and you to go get lost that way wirrahl wirrah"
 "An' you saw me in the woods, Davy you fox, an you made out not to see me, at all,' said the child. | q never saw you, Paudeen.
 "Davy, you're the old sarpint, you flung a cone at me where was sittin by the path"
 "Paudeen, you're the sarDint your self. T saw no more than hare 1T Slieveross: it sat so quet flung z cone at it and hit it."
 "Davy, you're the boyo! Dil you no see the quare ones dancin' aboGs your "God save us, Palieen, I niver saw { sowl, barrin' myself"
 Did ve not see themssII s ' | "Tis a dhrame you had, Paudefn."
 Maybe 1t was" said F1 ldeN1, as ht ran and claspe his father about ihd' knees.
 Hes lettin' m that themselves votched him." said Davy, wi,h a sem blance of righteous angsr, as h., con fronted Paudeen's distraaeG parents.
 He went asleep with q tEankfll hear and dreamt that he danced with tn, trees in Slieveross, and that the beecl swung him in its arms. He talked i, his sleep and muttere1 strangely, sr that Mrs. Fox, uno was sttp@rsti tin1ls soul. took him 10 rhe wise womal