Part 10 (1/2)

She had eaten an early breakfast and gone back up-stairs to examine the other toys that were spread out in her room.

The door between the two rooms was ajar. All the time he was dressing and taking his coffee he could hear her talking to some one. He supposed it was Maria. But as he glanced over his mail he heard the Little Colonel saying, ”May Lilly, do you know about Billy Goat Gruff? Do you want me to tell you that story?”

He leaned forward until he could look through the narrow opening of the door. Two heads were all he could see,--Lloyd's, soft-haired and golden, May Lilly's, covered with dozens of tightly braided little black tails.

He was about to order May Lilly back to the cabin, when he remembered the scene that followed the last time he had done so. He concluded to keep quiet and listen.

”Billy Goat Gruff was so fat,” the story went on, ”jus' as fat as gran'fathah.”

The Colonel glanced up with an amused smile at the fine figure reflected in an opposite mirror.

”Trip-trap, trip-trap, went Billy Goat Gruff's little feet ovah the bridge to the giant's house.”

Just at this point Walker, who was putting things in order, closed the door between the rooms.

”Open that door, you black rascal!” called the Colonel, furious at the interruption.

In his haste to obey, Walker knocked over a pitcher of water that had been left on the floor beside the wash-stand.

Then the Colonel yelled at him to be quick about mopping it up, so that by the time the door was finally opened, Lloyd was finis.h.i.+ng her story.

The Colonel looked in just in time to see her put her hands to her temples, with her forefingers protruding from her forehead like horns.

She said in a deep voice, as she brandished them at May Lilly, ”With my two long speahs I'll poke yo' eyeb.a.l.l.s through yo' yeahs.” The little darky fell back giggling. ”That sut'n'y was like a billy-goat. We had one once that 'ud make a body step around mighty peart. It slip up behine me one mawnin' on the poach, an' fo' awhile I thought my haid was buss open suah. I got up toreckly, though, an' I cotch him, and when I done got through, Mistah Billy-goat feel po'ly moah'n a week. He sut'n'y did.”

Walker grinned, for he had witnessed the scene.

Just then Maria put her head in at the door to say, ”May Lilly, yo'

mammy's callin' you.”

Lloyd and Fritz followed her noisily down-stairs. Then for nearly an hour it was very quiet in the great house.

The Colonel, looking out of the window, could see Lloyd playing hide-and-seek with Fritz under the bare locust-trees. When she came in her cheeks were glowing from her run in the frosty air. Her eyes shone like stars, and her face was radiant.

”See what I've found down in the dead leaves,” she cried. ”A little blue violet, bloomin' all by itself.”

She brought a tiny cup from the next room, that belonged to the set of doll dishes, and put the violet in it.

”There!” she said, setting it on the table at her grandfather's elbow.

”Now I'll put Amanthis in this chair, where you can look at her, an' you won't get lonesome while I'm playing outdoors.”

He drew her toward him and kissed her.

”Why, how cold your hands are!” he exclaimed. ”Staying in this warm room all the time makes me forget it is so wintry outdoors. I don't believe you are dressed warmly enough. You ought not to wear sunbonnets this time of year.”

Then for the first time he noticed her outgrown cloak and shabby shoes.

”What are you wearing these old clothes for?” he said, impatiently. ”Why didn't they dress you up when you were going visiting? It isn't showing proper respect to send you off in the oldest things you've got.”

It was a sore point with the Little Colonel. It hurt her pride enough to have to wear old clothes without being scolded for it. Besides, she felt that in some way her mother was being blamed for what could not be helped.