Smiles

"'Not by birth?'" echoed Donald, in surprise. "But I thought that she
was your granddaughter?"

"An' so she be--or perhaps my darter," hastily answered Jerry, realizing
his error too late. "I reckon I shouldn't hev told ye," he added in
distress.

"Don't let any such idea worry you, Mr. Webb. Where she came from is
nothing to me, and, indeed, after to-morrow I shall probably never see
her again. I've got to admit, though, that you have aroused my
curiosity, and I'd like to hear the story that's behind her presence
here, if you are willing to tell it."

The giant hesitated, then said slowly, "Wall, I kaint think of no reason
why yo' shouldn't hyar hit. Hit happened this erway.

"Twar one mornin', thirteen summers ergone, an' I war ergunnin' down in
ther woods er piece, not fur from ther Swift River. I rekerlect hit war
er purty mornin', with ther dew still er-clingin' ter ther grass, an'
sparklin'--like jewels, an' ther wood birds war singin' like they war
special happy. I clumb erround er big rock, an' all of er sudden I
seen--I seen er leetle mite of er gal, standin, thar, jest es still es
still. She warn't more'n three year old, I jedged, an' she suttinly
come from ther city, fer her leetle dress warn't like none I'd ever
seen--hit hed sorter loose panterloons ter hit, an', although her legs
war bare--an' all scratched an' bleedin'--thar war tiny socks an' shoes
on 'em. Thar war tears in her big blue eyes an' on her purty cheeks, but
she warn't cryin' none, then. No, sir; she war jest erstandin' an'
erlookin' up ter whar a robin war singin' in an oak tree, an' her leetle
mouth war open fer all ther world like a rosebud. Wall, es I stood thar,
erwatchin' like I'd seen er fairy, she smiles--yo' know thet smile of
her'n, like a rainbow breakin' fer er minute through the rain, an' then
fadin' erway slow?