The Storyteller.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7935, 26 September 1905, Page 4

The Storyteller.

A CROWN OF GOLD. (Continued.) Mirabel was watching him keenly Ironi her glistening covert "And," he said abruptly, • "red hair's the |jreetiest hair ihere is So that's all there is o( that story. What's your name She could answer now, though she would rather have stopped to think over the conclusion oi the story "Mirabel May," she said. "My Inw,hand's name is Harrison May." "Mir:J)cl May. Who gave yoti such - a pretty name ?" Mirabel jumped in her chair and her eyes gleamed out at him. She began to talk tumultously The barriers were down. "Do you think it's a jiretty name ' My aunt gave it to me. She used to read story papers, an' lay round outdoors, mother said, an' she died as poor as a rat Mother said they all said she would if she carried on so. but nolhin' would stop her. I thought mayle 'twas a funny name. 1 thought maybe my- hair was funny, too." She ceased, aghast at hrr own boldness, and gathered her hair under her chin again. The stranger was smiling al her kiirdly and pausing with his brush in air. "Still," he said, as if hj« Were gtntl.ng a horse. "I'll tell you another Mory. This is the story of the picture llicy made out of I In; red hair. Once upon a time there was a grown-up girl that had red hair. ;->he Icoked pis I like you. Maybe it was you. One day an old man came limping -along to her gate. He looked just like uie. Maybe he was n:«. 'llullo !' .he says to himself. 'Here's a girl with red hair.' So lie sat down and paiuicd her all day lonj, and Use girl sat still, rery still—do not wriggle round so. You'll hear tin- story if it's ever finished, and I guess it will be. And he painted all hi- could ihat day, and look the picture away with him, and painted some more as he /renumber* d it, and he called the picture 'A Study in Red.' And everybody came to see it, and I bey ail said 'Oh. my !' And ali over the cily (her said 'Oh mv !' for Uo weeks by "lite clock, "till the painter had lo pack up his canvas and liiMj camp-st-fol and run alrray because he was so deafened by hear-

inj theui .say 'Oli, my !' " Miraliel's checks were blooming rose Willi tin- wonder of tlic hour. She forgot Hurritaoii. She iorgol her bread rising. She forgot every thing that hail once belonged I" her , sn lliaV now when Hie cat came and rubbed against her skirt, purring and setting a waving sail in air, she looked down at i! as if it were an alien cat. It seemed as if this April day hart been the one she had wailed "for and the stranger was an old iriend come back from somewhere to talk things over. She began to talk herself, but she could think of only two things io say, though she bad said ibem once already. "I thought maybe my name was

IBBDJ." "Mirabel May," he repeated. "N'», ■o ! That isn't funny. It's nice, Mistress Mirabel May !" '•1 thought maybe my hair was homely, loo." He smiled at her, and shook his head ov, i Ins painting. "No ! no !" he s;iul. "No, no ! You sit still and inajne I'll tell you artdhir sliiry annul that. Do \ou mind the sun en your head "No, oli, no," said ilirabtl. in a vague happin. ss. "I like it." "1 hirr- weisoft living clouds in l hp sky. They dappled the grass with shadr. The birds were very bust that morning, singing and weaviifn. The rri*(J was cui4e • dcseited. .Nobody went to market and nobody came to spend the day. More and more it seemed to MiraM thai she am! the m stranger were in a new place where " she had never set foot bt'iore and, where she liked to he, At noon he lay down his brush. I He Inew il was twelve o'clock by his hunger,and she knew it by the shadows on the grass. ' Well ! " he said, in a tone of satisfaction.

"I'll run an.l cook some eggs," said Mirabel. "Do you like milk '.'" He did. His snule lold lur Al the door she paused and looked hack at him timidly. "Won't you come in '' she asktd. "and lest "In a minute," said the stranger, and while she choked the eggs the stranger walked about and stretched himself. \\lnn the meal was set oui she called him. She had put up her hair, and it crowned her heavily, so that she canied her small head with what looked like pride. Io balance it. ■'he had spread her taule in the sit-ting-i.H.in, Willi lbe best pink lustre and the big cut-jslass presesve dish I Aunt Mag had iKiuglu once Willi mo- ■ aey she had lak, n to lown jo gel shoes. The si rangei was very liun'fiT■ and he liked everything , bul j Mirattd only ale a liule bread and imlk. perhaps because she felt so j solemn Alll rit was over ai..i he had gone out to smoke a pipe, she lei; h.-r dishes staMlim;. and h'astilv • 'el down her hair I,ike a modest ha.Tr.'lma.d she appeared before hitn in the yard. i "Wju want me to sis down again here"" sh? aski.l. wi;h a U'l'vmt faithfulness. He nodded, and ;hey look their P'acrs, and ihat afternoon he worked in silence. When ihe s:in was low 1« looked up at her wi:ii ,1 <UPer ent smile, as if ihvy had both .■en in ill.' picture together, and now iliev had ome out of j|.

"Thtre child," he said, "that'll <lu. We've tlnu,' .ill we ran." ' "Have v<m finished ii ?" a .s!>nl Mil»W. Hit eyes were larße jh.l .m-H,-in». Slii- Was very |i;l!c. AI last sh« besan in i.-i-I how still slip was. "LVme and look at it," said lht> stranger. Slip w.'nt iiiiii liv ronii.l liis side and liprikiil. She £.t7r.-| ,:t ji ~ |,,n; timp. an! then .she t.mk up ,i strand of her hair and ->ti;fiic-l tli.it. "Vou ill ink it's pri'ltv she ask ed. Hp ans'vc: (d gravely. "It's very prei:y, "Miri;l,.-1. We've done a surd day's work." ou satisiifd Sh; - interrogated liim like a child. Hp nr,;lil;M, again gravely. 1 "Yes. I'm satisfied. Now I must