ivid spot of color as she
stood motionless to watch a great brown moth hovering over a bed of
iris. Before I could explain that the child was a waif temporarily
housed with me, shy and easily frightened, Zura whipped from somewhere
out of the mysteries of a tight dress a pad and pencil and, with
something like magic, the lines of the little maid's figure and face
were transferred to the white sheet.

"How Daddy would have loved her," said Zura, softly, as she covered her
work. I was silent.

Later my guest and I went into the house and I showed her my treasures.
They were few, but precious in their way: Some rare old prints, a piece
of ivory, and an old jewelry box of gold lacquer, all from grateful
pupils. Zura's appreciation of the artistic side of her mother's country
was keen. In connection with it she spoke of her father's great gift
and how he had begun teaching her to paint when he had to tie her to a
chair to steady her and almost before her hand was big enough to hold a
brush. She referred to their close companionship. Mother wanted to rest
very often and seldom joined them. Father and daughter would prepare
their own lunch and go for a long day's tramping and sketching. Once
they were gone for a week and slept out under the trees. Daddy was the
jolliest chum and always let her do as she pleased. He trusted her and
never had corrected her. Her voice was low and sweet as she dwelt upon
the memories of her father, and when I saw her round white throat
contract with the effort for control, I found something else to talk
about.

Altogether it was a smooth day and to me a very happy one. Jane had been
absent since noon. Her occupations were unquestioned, but when she
joined us at the evening dinner it was good to see how her tired face
brightened at Zura's girlish way of telling things.

Our guest thanked Jane for the cakes. Said she simply adored bear and
tiger cookies, and as for gingerbread Johnnies she couldn't live without
them. "It was so good of you to think of me," she told Jane.

"Not at all," replied Miss Gray. "I was as glad to make them as I am to
have you with us. Two lone women in one house are bound to get stale. We
need young sweet things about to keep us enthusiastic and poetical."

At this Zura's eyes sparkled, but the sincerity of Jane's welcome
appealed to her better part and she suppressed a laugh.

* * * * *

My house possesses one small guest-room. Witho