A little child

MARY HORNIBROOK CUMMINS
AUTHOR OF
THE MIGHTY GUEST THE AWAKENING
DAVIS & BOND
BOSTON
Copyright 1913 by
DAVIS & BOND
A LITTLE CHILD
THE ARTIST
He stood with bare feet planted well apart in the sand, working his toes down comfortably into its moist warmth and regarding Graham as though he were a poor riddle. His cotton blouse, open at the throat, showed a strong, shapely little neck. One brown hand grasped a battered tin pail, the other a wooden spade.
Gilbert Graham drew out pad and pencil and made a rapid sketch. The child’s clear gaze remained fixed on his face while he worked. When the drawing was finished, the artist thrust it carelessly into his coat pocket and resumed his gloomy inspection of the ocean.
“What did you do then?” demanded seven-year-old curiosity.