Smiles

"I calls ter her sorter soft-like, an' dang me ef she didn't come
walkin' right up ter me, not a mite erfeered. She made a funny leetle
bow, held out her chubby hand an' says, 'How do ye do, big man. Hev ye
seen my pappa an' mamma?' "I tuck her on my knee, an' leetle by leetle--fer she couldn't talk
much--she told me thet they come from a great, big city whar war
'lectric and steam cyars an' policemen, fer ter play in the woods, an'
thet her pappa an' mamma hed gone out on the water in a boat ter ketch a
fish fer baby's breakfast. Thar boat hed runned erway with her pappa an'
mamma, she said, an' they war settin' in hit cryin'.

"I reckoned what hed happed ter them, fer tharerbouts the Swift River
air a most deceevin', treetcherous stream, what looks innocent, but hes
a powerful swift current what don't show. City folks haint no business
ter go campin' in woods thet they don't know nothin' erbout," he
interpolated.

"Wall, I left the leetle gal ersettin' on the rock, an' runned es fast
es ever I could down stream ter the rapids. Her folks warn't nowhar ter
be seen, but I found part of thar canoeboat, smashed ter splinters, an'
I guessed the rest." He paused, and smoked steadily for some time before
continuing.

"In course the baby couldn't tell us much, 'ceptin' thet her name war
Rose. She didn't remember the name of the city whar they come from, but
she said thet erfore they come inter the woods, she slept all night on a
train.