Explorers of the Dawn

olroom window, a chit of a girl, smaller than myself, strutting up and down the Bishop's garden, pushing a doll's perambulator. She had fluffy golden hair about her shoulders, and her skirts ga

en Angel blew out his li

the most sick

, messing with the do

ing at her!" sug

ered Angel. "But I don't see myself going over

d," said The Seraph, dreamily.

d then when she looks up, we'll all stick our t

d

ith a flattened pink tongue protruding from each. We glared to see the effect of this outrage upon her. But the dauntles

aces hastily and stared at each other. We wer

"She shan't see us! Then we can pe

ed down than we heard our govern

doorway, "what does this mean? The bo

rt my eyes," he lied feeb

precision, "this room at its brightest is dim. Your eyes are keen e

me. In my mind's eye I saw her covering and uncovering the doll. Why did she do it? What did it feel like to push that "pram"? Would she dr

straight blond crop grew but slowly so I was free for an hour to follow my own devices. T

surrounding country for signs of the i

most touching the water, she was sailing boats made of

t stood in the corner. Reaching its friendly branches, I let myself d

and gazed at her moodily. If

he manipulated those boat petals. Evidently there

ut looking up, "and these little white seeds are his comrades. They're

nd our two faces peered at each

unny eager l

t we? Your hair is yellow and my hair is yel

ey, like father

Before I could prevent her, she had swept Jason and his crew away, and, snatchi

r mother. You should be the father, and Dorothea should wan

the puppet by the waist, while her mistress

t I should be discovered in so unmanly a posture.

irens. Dorothea's silly pink feet dangled in the pool. Surreptitiously I slipped my hand under water and felt

and sat down with her

our name?"

oh

'm visiting Aunt Margery. The Bishop is my

dered why I had said that. Did I like girls? Not much. But I d

udge. He sends ba

railroad, so that's why we live with Mrs. Handsomebody. But some day he's coming back to ma

ns? Hold Doro

d canyons

ke you with me,

her hands

can keep house and hang my was

s desecrated. I determined never to allow her to do any such

wheel Dorothea up and down t

dmired while he does things? In fact Jane had hit upon a great el

d realms of my fancy. Together we sailed those "perilous seas in faery lands forlorn,"

tter in a sort of haze, scarcely conscious of the subdued c

to take tea with her tomorrow afternoon. I trust you will conduct yourselves with decency

ng about frail little girls, but I kept

el, Mrs. Handsomebody?" Our go

little girl, Alexander, and asked no

wail little gel?" p

racteristics as a servant, I should say that she was a

he Seraph with his face in the tumbl

rs. Handsomebody, "your conduct is quite

fight. At night I dreamed of her, and saw her weekly washing, suspe

rue, I had once conceived a violent fancy for a fat young woman in the pastry shop, but she ha

as to sit next Angel at tea, till I discovered that, seated opposite, I could stare at

marched The Seraph with his brown curls bobbing; and after him, the stout Bishop in h

t, prancing around two solemn carved chairs. The music ceased with a crash. Jane leaped to one chair while Angel and I fell simultaneously upon the other. We both clung to it

sed my hot cheek, and she squeezed me in her arms.

the chair, John. I l

w creature of this tremendous new element that had come into my life. I watched Mary Ellen's stout red arms as she manipulated th

got out de

n, what is

me know about love thin?" She smiled broadly,

e been in it, often. You've had lots of

e point blunt to kape out av it. It's an

it feel like

each red finger in turn, and ga

bust wid the flarin' av it, ye suddintly turns cowld as ice, an' yer sowl do shrivil up wid fear. An' thin, at last, ye fergit all about

mustn't leave us! When Jane and I get married you

be?" demanded Mary

proudly. "I love her terribly, Mary Ellen. It

, Masther John-sthartin' off like this at your age. Here's the spoo

spoon, and felt strangely soothed. My

e-airy rainbows, with Jane's laughing face peering between the bars of pink and gold. I

ide of the bed, pulling his shirt over his head. T

re Angel wit

lickin' batter! It's on the end of you

" I explained, "and one batte

ked my eld

e you'd a furnace blazing in you, an' then you turn cold jus' as if you'd shrivel up,

ward on the bed and, kicking his bare legs in t

d little Jenny!" he gu

body appeared in the doorway, her face genuinel

lam?-such indecent display of limbs-she was sick with shame f

said our prayers at the side of the bed, at last extin

rst time he had failed me utterly. I put my arms ar