Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1907-03-28
ONE LITTLE GIRLS DREAM
By EDNA KENYON.

Copyright. 1906, by Joseph b. Bowles)
his. 81 can hold this up-so," she
said simply. She gathered up the rose
crepe almost caressingly. AS they
left the room by the upper door she
stole last glance at Mrs Stillwell,
and saw that the lady had raised her
lorgnette, and was gazing at her
through it.
shall we follow round?" her guide
suggested, and they started off.
He was growing more and more
puzzled over the social status of the
girl Her belongings were rich and
smart, and her speech was delicately
refined. Yet society, in the popular
acceptance of the word, was unknown
to her. Wherever she belonged, how
ever, her position was a genuine, self
respecting one, though to him it was a
| quite nameless somewhere.
Imperceptibly they were dropping
more and more behind the players they
were ostensibly following.
Suddenly the girl spoke with an
absolute ignoring of the inconseQuent
talk that had preceded. There was a
lovely shyness in her voice.
Il am so glad to have had Mrs.
Stillwell and the rest pointed out to
me. But | have done foolish thing.
| never thought of other people at all,
of how it would seem to them for me
to come out alone. l just wanted to
come out here more than anywhere
else, and l ran away and came"
To the young mans CONSERVATION her
eyes filled with tears.
II don't suppose you could ever
make anyone understand what this
place has been to me. | had to see it
to-day, the first chance | have ever
had. My father would not have let me
come alone, and | didn't want to
come any other way, not even with
him, because he could never under
stand the foolishness of it."
Her voice dropped into dreaminess.
The young fellow did not speak No
words were necessary-they would
only have spoiled the moment.
Ten years ago, when it was built"
she went on, softly, Il was little
red-headed girl, motherless and alone,
the only child in that Nevada mining
camp, with only my father and the
men to care for me. They did every
thing they could do, and never
missed what they couldn't do for me,
till one night when Black Billy
brought me great, inky, Sunday
f,,1l Of ri rt1 oil
mine. The next day l crept away with
it, and the most wonderful page of
all told about this place, just being
built; the plan of it, it's rules, it's
members, everything. There were
pictures Of the place, and some of the
rooms, and some of the people that
belonged. And somehow, that after
noon, it all grew so real that / be-
came part of it, instantly forever.
l was only nine years old, but fam
ished for something to hang dreams
to, and that very afternoon there rose
up before me, on my own hillside, a
wonderful, wide-planked, rock-firm
house, that house yonder, that very
house."
She leaned toward him, impulsive-
ly. DO you Understandable all?" she
asked wistfully.
ITS perfectly fascinating" he made
solemn answer.
She laughed nervously, with shining
eyes. 1T had black wood work, and
yellow silk hangings, just like the
story of it," she said. And best of
ALL there was Mrs. Stillwell there
always, always there, always!"
The young man stared at her pity.
ingly. You lonely little thing!" he
murmured.
at was utterly happy" she insisted
she was always there, always wait
ing for me. l had seen her face in
that paper-it was all l needed. There
were some others but there was al
ways her. We used to have lonely
talks-at first just that, but later
She laughed gleefully, tenderly. She
/