“Now, remember what you promised; for if you try to catch me I’ll go right back to the tree tops. I am away from everything up there, and if you should touch me——”
“Oh, I will not catch you,” Blanche said, as the girl shrank away from her, “but will you not come to the house with me?”
“Oh, no, you will lock me up. No, I’ll never go to the house with you. I would not dare.”
“But you see I promised you I would not harm you if you would come down, and I did not, did I?”
“So you did as you promised,” she said, coming nearer to Blanche, and looking straight in her face.
Blanche noticed the strange expression in the lovely eyes, and she knew that the burning light which she saw there was that of insanity, though the face was one of childish beauty and innocence.
“Will you not come in?” Blanche asked again.
“If you will promise sure that you will not lock me up.”
“I will promise.”
“Well, then, I will come, and if you do try to lock me up I’ll take this,” she said, putting her hand in her pocket, and drawing forth a tiny pistol, which she 204 pointed straight at Blanche’s head. “I’ll take this and shoot anybody who tries to lock me up.”