David Dunne: A Romance of the Middle WestManiates, Belle Kanaris
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David Dunne: A Romance of the Middle West
Maniates, Belle Kanaris
Middle West -- Fiction
"And will you take me to this wonderful person to-morrow?"
"Yes, sir."
Carey now came out of the hall with her cart, and David drew her
across the lawn, Janey dancing by his side. Down through the meadows
wound a wheel-tracked road leading to a patch of dense woods which, to
a little girl with a big imagination, could easily become a wild
forest infested with all sorts of nameless terrors--terrors that make
one draw the bedclothes snugly over the head at night. She gave a
little frightened cry as they came into the cool, olive depths.
"I am afraid, David. Take me!"
He lifted her to his shoulder, and her soft cheek nestled against his
face.
"Now you are not afraid," he said persuasively.
"No; but I would be if you put me down."
They went farther into the oak depths, until they came to a fallen
tree where they rested. Janey, investigating the forestry, finally
discovered a bush with slender red twigs.
"Oh," she cried, "now David will show you what beautiful things he can
make for us."
"I have no pins," demurred David.
"I have," triumphantly producing a paper of the needful from her
pocket. "I always carry them now."
David broke up the long twigs into short pieces, from which he
skillfully fashioned little chairs and tables, discoursing the while
to Carey on the beauty and safety of the woods. Finally Carey
acquired courage to hunt for wild flowers, though her hand remained
close in David's clasp.
When they returned to the house Carey gave a glowing account of the
expedition.
"Sit down on the steps and rest, children," proposed Mrs. Winthrop,
"while Lucy prepares a little picnic dinner for you."
"What will we do now, David?" appealed Carey, when they were seated on
the porch.
"You mustn't do anything but sit still," admonished her mother.
"You've done more now than you are used to doing in one day."
"Davey will tell us a story," suggested Janey.
"Yes, please, David," urged Carey, coming to him and resting her eyes
on his inquiringly, while her little hand confidently sought his knee.
Instinctively and naturally his fingers closed upon it.
Embarrassed as he was at having a strange audience, he could not
resist the child's appeal.
"She'll like the kind that you don't," he said musingly to Janey, "the
kind about fairies and princes."
"Yes," rejoined Carey.
So he fashioned a tale, partly from recollections of Andersen but
mostly from his own fancy. As his imagination kindled, he forgot where
he was. Inspired by the spellbound interest of the dainty little girl
with the worshiping eyes, he achieved his masterpiece.
"Upon my word," exclaimed Mr. Winthrop, "you are a veritable
Scheherazade! You didn't make up that story yourself?"
"Only part of it," admitted David modestly.
When he and Janey started for home David politely delivered M'ri's
message of invitation for Carey to come to the farm on the morrow to
play.
"It is going to be lovely here," said the little girl happily. "And we
are going to come every summer."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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