She ain't nothin' but a baby,
but in sartain ways she's as old as her mother was when she died."
The amazing secret was out, and the little girl appeared no more
until supper time, when she waited on the table, but at no time
would she look at Hale or speak to him again. For a while the two
men sat on the porch talking of the feud and the Gap and the coal
on the old man's place, and Hale had no trouble getting an option
for a year on the old man's land. Just as dusk was setting he got
his horse.
"You'd better stay all night."
"No, I'll have to get along."
The little girl did not appear to tell him goodby, and when he
went to his horse at the gate, he called:
"Tell June to come down here. I've got something for her."
"Go on, baby," the old man said, and the little girl came shyly
down to the gate. Hale took a brown-paper parcel from his saddle-
bags, unwrapped it and betrayed the usual blue-eyed, flaxen-
haired, rosy-cheeked doll. Only June did not know the like of it
was in all the world. And as she caught it to her breast there
were tears once more in her uplifted eyes.
"How about going over to the Gap with me, little girl--some day?"
He never guessed it, but there were a child and a woman before him
now and both answered:
"I'll go with ye anywhar.
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