38 Make-Believe

being lost a long while. And as Doris
tried to quiet it, so that she might thank
the painter, she suddenly opened her eyes
and found herself in bed.

How she got there she could never tell,
for she had brought all her presents with
her, and the dog was on her bed, barking
and kissing her face as it had been doing
when the painter and his studio disappeared.
In a moment Doris was out of bed, and
going, the dog at her side, to her father’s
and mother's room. Curiously enough,
her father was not asleep, although the
morning was full early. On the contrary he
was standing half-dressed at the bedside.
He turned as Doris entered. ‘Hullo,
Doris!” he said: “Are you awake so early?”
Then the dog dashed forward as if to make
his acquaintance. ‘Why, you’ve got a.
dog!” he said. ‘Where have you gone
wandering in the night?”

Doris did not know, and although her
father described to her the personal appear-