128 FOREST FANCIES 



Before the speaker sat down amid applause 

 and laughter, the one at the window, tilting on 

 her toes, caught sight of him ; it was Josiah. 



Some time later, as he left the marble portal, 

 he noticed there a little maid in green. The 

 hour was so late, or rather so early, that he 

 wondered at her, and why she looked so sad. 



"My home is in danger," she answered him. 



'*My dear child, let me help you." 



''Then follow me." 



Josiah grew breathless, so fast did she pilot 

 him through city streets to country. Was he 

 dreaming? Should he pinch his arm to see? 



They skimmed over barren hills, robbed of 

 their trees by axe and fire; they passed de- 

 serted upland farms with their soil washed 

 away by rain, and lowland farms destroyed by 

 floods. Josiah spoke : 



'^The Kansas poet wrote of 'walls of corn,' 

 a good idea." 



She nodded wisely. "And what about our 

 'walls of trees'?" 



"'Walls of trees'?" he repeated. "Yes, 

 there were 'walls of trees' along our coasts and 



