Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1911-01-20

HpHut hefStlf, out. whether She dlu DOT
understand his hints or was singularly
retieent 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 a cloud in the SLY and the air dry
and cold. Bixby started for his walk
and felt as If he would rather run.
There was ice in the little bitches be-
side the road, and. being fresh frozen
and CLASSY, it afforded especially good
slides for boys and girls. Looking
ahead. be saw the girl he was to meet
/ sliding on one Of these stretches of
/ ice. Indeed. she slid on every one she
came TO. when Bixby came up to her
her cheeks were aglow. She looked
I I ,lEettgy. ..She,ll make a sumner"
remarked BIxby to himself. when she
is a few years older"
After the greetings Bixby told her
that IL 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
"Aliee 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
leys and the trees. II must De very
beautiful here in summer. l can pic
ture il as it viii be in Auril. 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 can fancy
the melodious piping Of some bird
! away up in the highest branches as II
. It came down from heaven. DO yot
i remember how beautifully Coleridg'
, describes the sounds in his 'Ancien
} MarinerT
: Around. around new eacn sweet SouHu
: Then oarted TO the sun.
Slowly the SOUNDS came back again.
Now mixed, nov one by one
: ..s....s..,,4.- a-aroppipe from the sky.
: heasd Tho styiaris sting.
ss,i,arfirncs All little birds that
How they seem to III the sea and air
With their sweet jarEonlngi
''And now twas like all Instruments.
Now like lonely flute,
And now 1t is an anaers song
That makes the heavens be mute"
Good gracious" exclaimed Bixby
"where did you learn thatf"
Where did l learn it," She Lesitnt
ed. then added. "Why in cur English
literature course. to be surer'
sYou have a high poetic sense"
'.You mean a musical sense"
She began to initiate a bird with q
voice that astonished Bixby. and whcr
an echo came back from neighborlne
hill it seemed to him that she had
really been answered by nightingale
Bixby stopped stock still with look
of astonishment on his face. The gir
burst into a laugh.
There were neither miles nor hours
in that walk--at least not for Bixby
He had been bored by wonieR-highly
educated women, too-and here was 0
girl scarcely in her teens whose git Of
/ appreciation enabled her to keep hold
ing up before him pictures. givina
each the peculiar eoloring Of her owr
individual vision. Finally they came
to the farmhouse.
''Will you walk with me tomorrow ?
asked Bi-ty.
I'm sorry can't; go away in the
morning
"What..
Bixby spoke the word as II some
one had told him that he would be
shot at daylight.
Give me your full name and ad
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 uninhabitable He stood 1t for two
days longer, then went Back TO town.
A few days after his return he re-
ceiyed 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 astonishment to see in
the prima donna the ''little girP' 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
visit her between the acts. When be
saw her she explained that she had
been resting away from everybody
preparatory to a long engagement. It
was not her fault that he had taken
her for schoolgirl. She wore her
dresses short for convenience in tramp.
ing and had permitted him to remain
In error
BsHby has given up business and Is
following an opera troupe. 1t Is need.
less 70 say that little Alice Is tile at
traction for him. Although II is not
yet a year since he first met her in the
country. 1t seems TO him that she has
grown to be ten years older than she
was then. She tells him she's not 2
year older and. considering the age he
then took her to be, must grow fof
four or fire years before she VIII be