Miggles, laughing at us, too, in the most airy, frank, offhand manner
imaginable.

"You see, boys," said she, quite out of breath, and holding one little
hand against her side, quite unheeding the speechless discomfiture of
our party, or the complete demoralization of Yuba Bill, whose
features had relaxed into an expression of gratuitous and imbecile
cheerfulness--"you see, boys, I was mor'n two miles away when you passed
down the road. I thought you might pull up here, and so I ran the
whole way, knowing nobody was home but Jim,--and--and--I'm out of
breath--and--that lets me out."

And here Miggles caught her dripping oilskin hat from her head, with
a mischievous swirl that scattered a shower of raindrops over us;
attempted to put back her hair; dropped two hairpins in the attempt;
laughed and sat down beside Yuba Bill, with her hands crossed lightly on
her lap.

The Judge recovered himself first, and essayed an extravagant
compliment.

"I'll trouble you for that thar harpin," said Miggles, gravely. Half
a dozen hands were eagerly stretched forward; the missing hairpin was
restored to its fair owner; and Miggles, crossing the room, looked
keenly in the face of the invalid. The solemn eyes looked back at hers
with an expression we had never seen before. Life and intelligence
seemed to struggle back into the rugged face. Miggles laughed again--it
was a singularly eloquent laugh--and turned her black eyes and white
teeth once more toward us.