"Didn't you heah M'ria say, 'Fo' de Lawd's sake don't wake up ole Marse ?' Why don't you mind ?" The Colonel was not in the best of humours after such a wakeful night, but the sight of her happiness made him smile in spite of himself, when she danced into his room with the doll.
She had eaten an early breakfast and gone back up-stairs to examine the other toys that were spread out in her room.
The door between the two rooms was ajar.

All the time he was dressing and taking his coffee he could hear her talking to some one.

He supposed it was Maria.

But as he glanced over his mail he heard the Little Colonel saying, "May Lilly, do you know about Billy Goat Gruff?
Do you want me to tell you that story ?" He leaned forward until he could look through the narrow opening of the door.

Two heads were all he could see,--Lloyd's, soft-haired and golden, May Lilly's, covered with dozens of tightly braided little black tails.
He was about to order May Lilly back to the cabin, when he remembered the scene that followed the last time he had done so.