The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1910-11-30
+ Troops was to be held that morning.


she threw open the window and leaned
out.
AS she stood there bathed in the
sun light, her hands dividing the cur
tains, Barbara made a gracious part
of the glimmering setting. Her thick
rudy hair sprang curling from her
strongly modelled forehead, and fell
about her white shoulders, warm
reddish mass against the delicately
tinted curtain. There was thor
oughbred straightness in the lines OF
the tall figure, in the curve OF the
cheek and the round directness OF
the chin; and her eyes, bent on the
lucent green, were the color OF brown
sea-water under sapphire cloud-shad'
ows.
Barbara started suddenly to see on
the lawn just below her window, a
figure three feet high, with round,
cropped head, gazing at her from a
solemn, inquiring countenance. He
wore a much-worn but clean kimono,
and his infantile toes clutched the
thongs of clogs so large that his feet
seemed to be set on spacious wooden
platforms. The youngster bent double
and staggeringly righted himself with
q staccato "O-hayo!"
Barbara gave an inarticulate gasp;
in face of his somber dignity she did
not dare to laugh: How do you do?"
she said. do you live here"
No." he replied. 81 lives in other
houses"
"Oh!" exclaimed Barbara, aghast at
his command of English. What is
your name?"
"Ishikichi,' he said succinctly.
"And will you tell me what you are
doing, 1shikichi?"
A small hand from behind his back
produced tiny bamboo cage In which
was bell.cricket. AS he held it out,
the insect chirped like an elfin cymbal.
Find more one," he said laconically.
"And what shall you do with them,
l wonder"
He took one foot from his clog and
wriggled bare toes in the grass. "Give
him to new little sister," he said.
$50 you have a new little sister!"
exclaimed Barbara. "How fine that
must bel"
A glaze of something like disap-
|pointment spread over the diminutive
face. Small like" he said. "More
better want brother to play with
me-"
Maybe you might exchange her for
brother" she hazarded, but the
cropped head shook despondently.
II think no can now" he said. I'VE
have use her four days.
Barbara laughed outright, a peal OF
silvery sound that echoed across the
garden-then suddenly drew back. A
man on horseback was passing across
the drive toward the main gate of the
compound. 1t was Daunt, bareheaded,
his handsome tanned face flushed
with exercise, the breeze ruffling his
moist, curling hair. She flashed him
smile as his riding-crop flew to his
brow in salute. The sun glinted
from it's Damascene handle, wrought
into the long, grotesque muzzle OF
fox. Between the edges of the blue
silk curtains she saw him turn in the
saddle to look back before he disap-
peared.
She stood peering out long time
toward the low white cottage across
the clipped lawn. The laughter had
left her eyes, and gradually over her
face grew a wave of rich color. She
dropped the curtain and caught her
hands to her cheeks. For an instant
she had seemed to feel the pressure
of strong arms, the touch of coarse
tweed wildly reminiscent of pipe.
What had come over her? The one
day that had dawned at sea in golden
fire and died in crimson and purple
over a file of convicts-the dreaming
platforms. The youngster betn double
through silver mist and violet shad-
ows-these had left her the same Bar
bara that she had always been. But
somewhere, somehow, in the closed
gulf between the then and now, some
thing new and strange and sweet had
walked in her-something that the
sound of a voice in the garish sun
light had started into clamorous rever-
berations.
She sat down suddenly and hid her
face.
CHAPTER XIV
A Face in the Crowd.
They rode to the parade ground
Barbara and Patricia with the ambas
sador, behind pair of Kentucky
grays-along wide streets grown fes-
tive overnight and buZZing with rick