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’ gong stopped abruptly.
a little bow, and said rather-shyly:-
173 WILD MARGARET.
a bush, and she came. on, singing merrily and swinging
her straw hat to the tune. _~ /
Suddenly she caught sight of Margaret, and she and th
It was almost impossible for her to pass so close withont
saying something in the way of greeting, and so she made
/
“Tm afraid I startled you. I didn’t know anybody
was near, or I shouldn’t have made such a noise.””
‘*T only heard you singing,”’ said Margaret. .
The words and the gentle tone, together with the beaut
ful face with its sad expression, seemed to fascinate the —
girl, and she drew nearer, saying timidly: .
— But I was making a tremendous noise! ‘You are paint-
ing??? | .
‘“‘ Yes,’ answered Margaret, with a sigh, ‘‘I am trying
to do.so.”’ : . .
“What a lovely spot you have chosen!’ said the girl ,
looking round. ‘‘May I see what you have done? I am
so fond of art myself, but’?—and she made a little gri-
mace—‘' Iam a shocking stick!” >
Then she colored furiously and laughed with pretty em-
barrassment. |
“That’s slang, I know. I beg your pardon! But 1
learn it from Ferdy! There—how stupid of me! Of
course, you don’t know who Ferdy is: he is my brother.
By this time she had looked at the canvas.
“Why! she exclaimed, ‘‘ that is beautiful! You are an
artist!” .
‘A poor one,” said Margaret, smiling in spite of herself
at the girl’s enthusiasm.
‘*Oh, no; you are a real artist!” shesaid. ‘I know the
real from the sham; because we have so many of the lat-~
ter staying in Florence. Poor Florence! They make
daubs of her all the year round, and send them about the
world as true pictures, while they are only libels. But.
yours will be a beautiful picture! How splendidly you
have got those trees there, and that bit of cloud. Oh!”
and she sighed, ‘‘I would give ten years of my life if I
could ever paint like that!”
‘That would be rather a heavy price if your life should
be as happy all through as it is now,’? said Margaret, 10
her sweet, gentle fashion. .
The girl looked at her and pondered for a moment,
then she flung herself on the grass beside Margaret, and
said: ~
**Do you know, you reminded me of mamma just then.
That is just how she speaks when she wants to scold me -
for one of my extravagancies, Of course I wouldn’t give