wn all his nonsense away." She was thinking the same heresy that
moment, but all she did was to smile goodhumoredly and pull the boy to
his feet. "Out of doors with you," she commanded, gayly, "and I will
speak to father. Take a walk--a long one, and when you come back you
will be able to study without falling half-asleep over your book."

Samuel needed no urging. A moment later he had kissed his mother
good-bye, helped himself to a handful of sugar cookies from her blue
crockery jar, and was whistling down the dusty road, feeling strangely
anxious for some adventures; adventures as heroic as his father often
related before the fire on winter evenings. His mother might have
thrown up her hands in despair had she seen the dreamy look in his
large eyes. True, he was no longer drowsing on the settle, but as he
swung along under the soft spring sky, he saw himself the hero of a
hundred fantastic tales--the captain of a trading-vessel bound for the
Indies; the commander of a company of daring youths of his own age,
all ready to resist the Indians when they should seek to fall upon New
Amsterdam; again, a pirate with a plumed hat and a flashing sword. So,
lost in dreaming, he wandered on down the quiet streets to the Wall
which marked the boundary of the Settlement.

Suddenly realizing that he was tired and hungry, Samuel threw himself
upon the grass, and taking his cookies from his pocket, began to munch
them contendedly, wondering just what heroic deed he should plan for
his next undertaking. But in the middle of a bite he stopped short,
sitting up suddenly and rubbing his eyes as though he had been asleep
and feared he was still dreaming.

There on the grass beside him sat a little girl, almost his own age he
judged; a little girl with golden hair and eyes as blue as the flowers
growing in the young grass about them. To the simple lad she seemed as
richly dressed as a fairy princess, for her frock was of flowered
silk, she wore silver buckles upon her little shoes, and her daintily
flounced cap was fastened at either ear with a quaint medallion of
beaten gold. Samuel took in all of these details slowly, half afraid
to speak lest he should drive away the delicate little creature, who
had risen from the grass and now stood poised for flight like a gaily
tinted butterfly. Then she spoke, and he knew there was very little of
the fairy about her and that she was almost as human as himself.

"Boy," she said in unmistakable Du