Barbara Ladd

she was the object of a critical but frankly admiring scrutiny. Her attention was diverted from the great river. Here was a tall boy-of her own caste unmistakably-poling himself out on a prec

is pole revealed his strength. Barbara loved strength, so long as delicacy saved it from coarseness. The boy was in his shirt sleeves, which were of spotless cambric, and Barbara noted, with approbation, the ample ruffles turned back, for convenience, from his sinewy brown hands. She observed that his brown, long-fronted, flowered vest was of silk, and his lighter brown small-clothes of a fine cloth worn only by the gentry; that hi

e, she laid hold upon it for anchorage and the greater convenience in conversation, and flashed upon the stranger the full dazzle of her scarlet lips, white teeth, and bewildering radiance of

are!" she said, frankly conde

ooking boy you

ether to Barbara's fancy, and showed even, strong, white teeth, another most uncommon merit in a boy

ighly pleased. Then, quickly apprehensive, she

er countenance, and wondered

f his own instant conviction), "have spread far down the river. When I came up here the other day to visit my grandmoth

uty" was most melodious to her ears. As a matter of fact, she did not herself admire her own appearance at all, and even had an aversion to the mirror-but it occurred to her now, for the first t

coquettishly tossing her dark little head and shooting at him a distracting sidelong glance

on every slim line of it, and eloquent from the polished, well-trimmed, long, oval nails. Instantly, careless

ver threads. Never before had any one kissed her hand. She was surprised at the pleasant thrill it gave her; and she was surprised, too, at her sudden, inexplicable impulse to draw the hand away. It was a si

ickety thing?" she asked. "Why

her hand. "I saw you coming; and I knew it must be you, because no other girl c

n't you getting very wet there?

erness. "Are you going to be so good to me? Then I must push this ol

d silently alongside and admired his skill. When the raft was tied up, and the pol

the other way,"

addle," he answered. "Won't you let me? You really look a little bit tired, and I wa

ing you paddle for awhile, if you'll paddle hard and go the way I want you to." And with that she seated

urned the canoe with pow

tsoever direction you command me. Am I

ved slaves. She accepted his

nto the river, and the

Obeying without a word of question, he sent the canoe leaping forward under

e, her little shoes of red leather and her black-stockinged ankles sticking out demurely from under her short blue striped skirt, her nut-brown, slender, finely modelled arms emerging from short loose sleeves. He was proud of her praise. He was partly engrossed in d

ng current. Barbara clasped her hands with a movement which expressed such rapture and relief that the boy's curiosity w

ghbourhood. How fortunate I am-that is, if you will graciousl

undle and the basket, which he had been so far too occupied to notice. His wonder cam

ere in this neighbourhood. I don't know

ght from Second West

om Second

e since this morn

ded imp

ods-through the r

answered, a little cri

down his paddle and leaned

give me! I know it is none of my

me? I know what it means!" And she laughed, half maliciously. The boy loo

ung about her lips. The current was swift, and they had soon left the imposing white columns of Gault

d Barbara, coolly. "Give me the paddl

e, gravely, appealingly, "but, do you know, I think

turned the canoe's head up

ded Barbara, angrily. "Gi

ade no mot

take till dark to work back against the current to where I met you,-

ety; "I'm going to travel all night. I'm going to the sea-to my uncle at St

ted with the perils of the river. It was superb pluck,-but it was wild, impossible folly. He did not know wh

e was going to leave her alone, when it would soon be dark. She had not considered, hitherto, this necessity of travelling in th

ult," she said, sweetly, as if it were

asked, gently, without a trace of resentment fo

ara, in a very small

. "Clever canoeist as you are, you would find it hard enough work going throu

a, the perils of her adventure just

s," he pleaded. "And we will paddle

t into a sto

s before I'll ever go back to Aunt Hitty! Oh, why did I l

t her, wherever she wanted to go, however impossible her undertaking. Instead of that, however, he kept silence and paddled forward resolutely for two or three minutes, while Ba

ioned. "I do want so much to help you. And perhaps

ness. Barbara suffered it to comfort her. Surely he would understand, if old Debby could! In a

d to you. Yes, I'll tell you all about it, and the

rrative. She was right to run away. The venture, of course, was a mad one, but with his help it might well be carried through to success. As she talked on, an intoxication of enthusiasm and sympathy tingled along his blood and rose to his brain. Difficulties vanished, or displayed themselves to his deluded imagination only as obstacles which it would be splendid to overcome. In the ordinary a

the utmost of my po

ight and significanc

clapped

t I knew you were nice the moment I looked at you!" And a load rolled of

lodging for the night; but meantime he turned the canoe and paddled swiftly out into the current. Hardly had he changed his course when he noticed a light rowboat creeping up along the shore. But boats were no unusual sight on the river, a