116 LUCY AMONG THE MOUNTAINS.

also look right down the bank opposite to where
she stood upon that part of the stream which was
below the mill.

She watched the water gliding over the top of
the dam, and falling down in a shower upon the
rocks below, for a few minutes, when she heard a
door open behind her. She looked round, and
found that there was another door, besides the
one which she had come out of, in the same
building. ‘There were also some windows. In
fact, it seemed as if the back part of the building
was a house, and only the front part a store.

At any rate, the door opened, and a girl, about
as big as Lucy, came out with a saucer in her
hand, and a spoon in it. Lucy saw at once that
she had come out to feed the chickens. Lucy
went towards her, to see her; for before she had
gone to the front part of the yard to see the
prospect,

‘© Are these your chickens?” said Lucy.

“ Yes,” said the girl.

“ They’re beautiful chickens,” said Lucy.

“Yes,” said the girl, “only they came too
late.”

While Lucy was censidering what the girl
could mean, by saying that her chickens came too
late, the girl went on feeding them ; and after she