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Page 47
"Oh--o!" said Princess Polly, and "Oh--oo--oo!" said Lena, but Rob asked
a question.
"Did your fine lady come down on the floor in a heap?"
"Did she BUST her feather fan?" questioned Harry Grafton.
"You're not nice to laugh when I'm telling a story," said Gwen, "and I
guess you wouldn't have laughed if you'd BEEN there!"
"Why, what happened?" Lena asked, partly because she was curious and
partly to be kind.
"I'll never know just what did truly happen, because just as she came
toward me, I was so scared I fainted, and when I came to, the lady had
vanished, but the big hole in the canvas showed JUST WHERE SHE'D STOOD!"
"Why Gwen Harcourt! You know that story's a fib story all the way
through!" said Harry.
"'Tis NOT!" said Gwen, "and I guess I know!"
She sprang from the grass, and ran down the driveway.
"I guess when you see the big frame, and the picture with a big hole in
it just the shape of the lady, that showed where she WAS, I guess you'll
HAVE to b'lieve it," she said, and having said this to the boys that had
teased her, she hurried down the avenue.
"Oh, what an awful story!" said Polly, "it made me feel like shivering,
and I was glad the boys were with us."
"If Gwen Harcourt likes to tell such stories, she can," said Leslie,
"but she needn't say they're true."
"Oh, but perhaps SOME of it---" Polly stopped. She had meant to speak
kindly, but what part of so silly a story could be true?
"You've been in her parlor, Leslie," said Harry, "did YOU see the
picture with the big hole in it, just where the fine lady stepped out
from the frame? Leslie, HAVE you?"
"Yes," admitted Leslie, "I've been there."
"WAS the big picture with the big hole in it hanging there?" he asked.
"N--NO!" said Leslie, "and I'll tell you all something. A lady that mama
knows heard some of Gwen's stories, and she told Mrs. Harcourt what
perfectly awful things Gwen was telling, and Mrs. Harcourt said that she
was very glad, and thankful that Gwen had such great imagination, and
said she wouldn't, for the world do anything to check it, because it's a
SURE sign she'll be something fine some day.
"Mrs. Harcourt said it was just wonderful what a strong imagination Gwen
had, and she said she thought she would be either an author, or a play
writer, or something great."
"And papa, when he heard that, said he'd want to be careful lest she
grow up to be an awful liar!" said Harry.
"Oh, hush!" said Leslie, "papa said falsifier or some name like that."
"Well, that's the same thing," said Harry.
The little friends talked of Gwen, and the stories that she told.
The boys thought them ridiculous, and laughed at the idea that she
expected her playmates to believe them, but neither Polly, Lena, nor
Leslie could see it that way.
"I wouldn't mind the stories," Polly said, "because anyone can make up
stories just for fun, but I do hate to have her say they're TRUE."
"And she sticks to it," said Harry.
"That's it," said Lena, "she says they're true, and she dared us to come
down to her house, and see the picture!"
Gwen was safe in daring them, for not one of the little friends liked
her well enough to go to her home, none save Inez, and Inez had not
heard the story about the picture.
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