her brown nor red.
She was dressed in a thin, soft garment that fitted her closely from her
bare neck to her ankles. Around her waist she had knotted a crimson
scarf. On her head she wore a fantastic wreath of scarlet autumn leaves.

The newcomer stared at Mollie. Once, like a startled fawn, she turned to
flee. But Mollie was too wise to speak or to move. Reassured, the quaint
visitor drew nearer.

Mollie smiled at her quietly. "Are you afraid of me?" she asked gently.
"Come here, I shall not hurt you."

Suddenly the stranger's dark, sad little face burst into a smile. "I am
not afraid," she insisted. "I am never afraid. But is it well with you?"
She spoke English, but with a strange guttural note Mollie had never
heard before.

"Why should it not be well with me?" asked Mollie in surprise.

"Because," the wood sprite answered, "you were lost yesterday in the
hills."

"How did you know?" Mollie demanded.

"How did I know?" The girl lifted her head proudly. "I know all things
that take place in the woods," she replied. "The woods are my home."

Mollie looked thoughtful; then she spoke in a firm voice: "You know for
other reasons, as well. You know I was lost because you led me away
yesterday."

The girl's brown face crimsoned, her eyes flashed. Then she lifted her
head proudly. "I led you nowhere!" she declared. "You would follow me. No
one can run as I do, or capture me when they hunt."

"Who are you?" Mollie asked her.

"I am nobody," the young girl replied. It seemed to Mollie she spoke
sadly. But she dropped down on the steps of the porch and waited until
Mollie joined her there.

Mollie put out her own soft, white hand and took the other girl's brown
fingers in her own. The hands were slender and long, with hard muscles
trained to the work of the woods.

"Well," said Mollie gently, "if I _would_ follow you, perhaps my getting
lost was my own fault. But was it quite fair of you to come each morning
to our windows, and then fly away again before anyone could see you?"
Mollie was only guessing at this; but it was easy to see her guess had
struck home.

Her visitor turned a deeper crimson and dropped her eyes.

"I am sure you meant no harm by your morning calls," continued Mollie
smilingly. "But, if you didn't lead me away into the woods, there is one
thing I feel very sure of; you did show my friends how to find me."

"Hush, hush!" cried the wood nymph, rising to her feet and looking around
in terr