The Poor Little Rich Girl

not have time to think how it had happened-she found herself up a

cars flashing by. And the grass underfoot was not the grass of a lawn, evenly cut and

ith streaks of smoke. It was close and clear; starless, too; and no moon hung up

were low and thick of trunk, but with the wide shapely spread of the great banyan in her geography; and, towering abo

aloud, still looking around. "Or

mney, to mark the whereabouts of a house. Behind her the ground sloped gently up to a wooded

his were indeed the place she had longed to revisit, it would be advisable to keep as

nsively, she pushed through the

n fact, not ordinary water at all, but something lighter, more sparkling with color, swifter, and louder. It effervesced, so that a

are down. "Isn't it funny!" she

It was a thin, cracked voice. "This is

ed, and

ck under his brows, which were square and long-haired, and not unlike a certain new hand-brush that Jane wielded of a morning across Gwendolyn's

n the true type of a kidnaper's weapon, and the look out of those round, dark eyes, as he strode toward her, was

soda-water," she faltered, tryi

with a sidewise jerk of

es. "All I want to?

"Sip! Lap

lt down. For the first time in her life sh

nd. Bubbles formed upon it,-all sizes of them-standing out like dewdrops upon leaves. The bubbles cooled. And tempted her thirst. With a deep br

leaves, like ordinary trees! Each branched to hold lights-myriads of lights! Some of these shone steadily; others burned with a hissing sou

e gray eyes. "Are these Christma

ater," he answered shor

ght to know.

gru

idly, "that nobody ever answ

ble. "Yes," he retor

g an eager step-

must, I must: This is where all the li

he had said was true. For the greater part of the lights were ele

she was not wearing a despised muslin frock! Her dress was gingham!-an ador

pily, and thrust a hand into the

rcely believe! She had on no stockings! She di

ut a hand to her head; and found her hair-bow gone! In its place, m

ody!" s

gentleman. "And you can play

ng! She was face ab

d her handkerchief.) It circled into sand-bottomed pools just shallow enough for wading; and from the pools, it spread out thinly to thread the grass, thus giving her an opportunity for sq

e being out of doors and plainly clad; free from the espionage of a governess; aw

d a stick and bestrode it; seized another and belabored the quarters of a

nsieur Tellegen. But gradually she forsook rhythm and measure; capering ceased; the dance became fast and furious. Hallooing, she raced hither and thither among the t

piano, such as were beaten out by the firm-striding Miss Brown; not the clamorous, deafe

a han

turning the crank with a swift, steady

p to him, and held out a hand. "Why, you're the hand-organ man!

en I'm in town," he corrected. "Here, in the L

h new interest. "Why, of course you are," she

shouldered the hand-organ, grasped the curved knife, and started a

ned!" he sang. "Ears sharpened! Eyes s

rd a low hill not far distant. As she drew away from the stream and the glade, she heard, from so

and waved the kidnaper knife in circles. "Ears to sharpen!" h

er. "I think you're nice, Mr. Man-Who-Makes-Faces," she announced presently. "I'm so glad I can look straight at you. I di

e to face," he retorted. Though his voice was still cross, his round, brigh

odding brightly. "I wanted to come down

ially. "Wouldn't you like," said he, "to have a look at my establish

with coal-dust, where grimy men in leather aprons tried shoes on horses; and those horrifying places past which she always drove with closed eyes-places where, scraped white and head downward, hung little pigs, pitiful husks

-Who-Makes-Faces was the

he nursery. And curiously enough, like the nursery, it had, marki

ded by one

the little old gentle

e cried. "I know! T

eir glare, neatly disposed, were two short-legged

elf on the stool at one of the tabl

read handily, were ears and eyes, noses and mouths, cheeks and chins and foreheads. And upon the bill-board, pendant, were toupee

carlet. These, a score in all, were ranged in a shining row.

In All L

or

if

chased

"Oo! how nice!" she exclaim

away a tray of chins and cheeks and reaching for

though, if you don't happen to have 'em on hand-a Spanish and an Italian." Then she heaved a sigh of relief. "I'm glad I saw these," she added. "They'll save me a lot of work. And the

d. "Just wait till you see th

English? Wil

s eyes about him in a circle, each looking as natural as

"I remember! It was you who ga

of noses and selected a large-sized one. "Yes! Yes! And recently I made a

Once I saw some eyes in a shop-window," she confid

ne of 'em!" he boasted. "Oh, yes, indeed." A

I'm glad I know," she said gra

sently discovered that a second supply of eyes was displa

. "What kin

bill-board is the rear wall of my shop,"

e. "That's exactly what

nd puzzled, and asked questions-the tongues, for instance, and the lime-lights, and the soda-water. How simply and naturally each was now explained!-explained as she herself had imagined each would be. She felt a sudden pride i

She pointed to a deep yellow bowl set on the table besid

a sauce-box."

s it full

mouths,"-

sauce-box. At its center was a queer object, v

part of a mouth

e guessed it!" he declared. "And it's a fine thing to carry arou

th. "Once I asked and aske

rested in these," he observed, giving a nod of the ragged hat t

what seemed to be white peanuts-peanuts that tapered

dn't drink enough of that soda-water

s and jumped up and down. "W

hought so. I always keep a supply on ha

nny!" She leaned ab

to the wrong mouth!-a wry mouth, for instance, or an ugly mouth.

that makes a face s

up the nose to exa

ou don't mind telling me who's going to have tha

for a certain lit

lly. "Is his name," s

een keeping his own nose to the grind

name I'm thinking about,"

grave as he searched her face. "I wonder," he

n acquainted with myself fo

ou are?" (The round ey

I did just a little w

ke her hand. "Sh

-in a

Girl." He patted her hand.

ows, too. And the bottoms of his baggy trousers hung in dusty shreds. But his lined

Not happy! And no st

ain) "there are some step-ho

-as he coughed, he waved an arm cheerily. "Things will im

were wistful,

For instance"-here he paused, running his fingers through

and high grass through which to brush; of having a plaid gingham with a pocket, and all the fizzing drink she wished; of bein

hen at the bill-board, and the loaded tables of that marvelous establishment.

auce-box. "You'll just have to keep

untwisting her fingers. "I thou

their clutches, I say. That's absolutely necessary. You'll see w

nd. She had forgotten Miss Royle and Thomas and Jane. Worse

ces. He thought a moment, pursing his lips and twiddling hi

does he come?" she aske

and rearranged a row of chins. "Well, the fact is, he

rse. Is

addition-yes, addition, su

e the way?" Now her face

r twice, you know. Though"-he looked away thoughtfully-"when you come to think of it ther

ts when there seemed very little to

e more. "Then there's

th-

e there are lots of things worse than one of

g else! She hear

lp her get ri

I

to overcome. Recol

reated

e meet him! And

M

a certai

, d

Pretty

my moth-er c

ll of carriage-lamps," he began; "and-and sid

oncerned. "I

added. "You see, the Madam co

Hood'

Nice day,

obin Hood's Barn-of which she had often heard-was a mo

'll have to

She put out a hand to him. "You will go with me?" she

rvants they're hiring. Unless I'm much mistaken, your par

nths came crowding back into her mind. "I want to sit at the grown-up table

"You can do every one of them," he sai

em," she cried

, as we go along, we don't lea

d about her, sea

t." He picked up two or three small article

Gwendolyn. It was a small one, and la

er. "All rig

urned the roc

felt a heavy hand upon her shoulder, and clumsy f

ee! hee

distance. Hearing it now she felt a sudd

re dressed in black sateen, and like no human being

e mouth underneath shaped most extraordinarily-not unlike a barrette, for it was wide and long, and square at the corners, and full of shining tortoise-shell teeth! But the creature had only one tongue. This was loose at both ends, so

ed creature, Gwendolyn

my!" she

wed hilariously. And the cre

lyn!" it ordered.

look at the brick-colored hair, the blowzy

as J