GERTRUDE. 149

“Why, yes.”

Gertrude paused, drew a long breath, and said, in despera-
tion, “Oh, if I only might have them !”

Miss Torrance laughed at her tone, and said, “Certainly
you may have them; though I cannot see what use you can
make of them.” .

But Gertrude waited to hear nothing but that she might
have the colors, and flew to the house for an old plate on which
to put them.

Miss Torrance took them off carefully, as she saw that it
was more than a passing fancy. “Now, if you keep them
under water,” she said, “they will last for some time; they are
oil colors, you know.”

Gertrude bore her treasure to her little nest under the
eaves, and seemed so earnest- about the matter, that Miss
Torrance was quite curious to know what would be the result
of her use of the colors.

So the next day, learning where Gertrude hid herself, she
went softly to the little closet over the kitchen. Gertrude was
so absorbed that she did not hear the tap on the door, and was
unconscious of Miss Torrance’s presence till she heard her
say,—

“Upon my word, little girlie, you are doing wonders.”

Gertrude started up with a flushed face; she was repro-
ducing upon a piece of board, as nearly as possible, the
sketch which Miss Torrance had made the day before.