Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1911-02-16


meet on the road.
About this time the woman came In
with the milk, set 1t down on the ia
BILE and went out. Bixby drank II, con-
versing with the girl the while. He
gave her every opportunity to explain
why she was there and tell him all
about herself, but, whether she did not
understand his hints or was singularly
reticent for one so young, anyway she
failed to enlighten him. When he took
his leave she arose from her seat and
Bixby noticed that she was pretty
nearly as tall as he was. But Bixby
was not a large man, and the girl
seemed to be large for her age. Some
girls get their growth by fourteen, and
Bixby concluded this was one Of that
kind.
The next morning was delightful,
not cloud In the sky and the air dry
and cold. Bixby started for his walk
and felt as IL he would rather run.
There was Ice In the little bitches be-
side the road, and, being fresh frozen
and CLASSY, 1t afforded especially good
slides for boys and girls. Looking
ahead. he saw the girl he was to meet
Ice. Indeed, she slid on every one she
came to. When Bixby came up to her
her cheeks were aglow. She looked
very pretty. She'll make a sumner"
remarked Bixby to himself, when she
is few years older"
After the greetings BiXby told her
that II they were to walk together they
must know each others names. He
said he was Mr.. Bixby, and she said
her name was Alice. He asked her
"Alice WHAT" and she said Alice Mid
dleton.
"well, Alice" he said, "what do you
study at school?'
"What do l study? Why, I study
oh, don't let's talk about school work!
Let's talk about the hills and the val
legs and the trees. 1t must be very
beautiful here In summer. l can pic
ture it as it will be in April, when the
leaves are budding and on the forest
trees is that delicate pale shade OF
green that we see only about ten days
In the whole year. And l can fancy
the melodious piping Of some bird
away up in the highest branches as If
1t came down from heaven. Do you
remember how beautifully Coleridge
describes the sounds in his Ancient
Marinerp
Around. around flew each sweet sound,
Then darted to the sun.
Slowly the sounds came back again,
Now mixed, now one by one.
sometimes, a-dropping from the sky,
I heard the skylark sing.
Sometimes all little birds that are
How they seem to fill the sea and air
With their sweet jargoning
"And now twas like all instruments.
Now like q lonely flute.
And now IL is angels song
That makes the heavens be mute"
Good gracious" exclaimed Bixby,
"where did you learn that?"
where did | learn it," she hestat-
ed. then added "Why in our English
literature course, to be sure"
you have a high poetic sense"
''You mean musical sense"
She began TO initiate a bird with
voice that astonished Bixby, and when
an echo came back from a neighboring
hill it seemed TO him that she had
really been answered by nightingale.
Bixby stopped stock still with look
of establishment on his face. The girl
burst into laugh.
There were neither miles nor hours
in that walk-at least not for Bixby.
He had been bored by women-highly
educated women, too-and here was
girl scarcely in her teens whose gift OF
appreciation enabled her to keep hold
ing up before him pictures, giving
each the peculiar coloring of her own
individual vision. Finally they came
to the farmhouse.
"Will you walk with me tomorrow"
asked Bixby.
I'm sorry can't; l go away in the
morning"
WHAT
Bixby spoke the word as If some
one had told him that he would be
shot at daylight.
"Give me your full name and adj
dress in the city" she added; there's
something wish to send you"
"When?"
after your return"
BiXby gave her his card with his
address on it. and she ran into the
house.
The next morning the weather
changed for Bixby. The country seem
ed uninhabtable. He stood it for two
days longer. then went back to town.
A few days after his return he re-
ceived tickets TO an opera. There was
no reason that he knew for any one
to send him complimentary tickets,
and he supposed these had been sent
through mistake. He concluded to use
one of them.
What was his establishment to see in
the prima donna the little girl' Alice,
though this was not her stage name
She looked about twenty-five years
old. She saw BiXby. gave him a
smile and sent him an invitation to