They often acted stories together, too. Even Mrs. Triplett was dragged
into these, albeit unwillingly, for minor but necessary parts. For
instance, in "Lord Ullin's Daughter," she could keep on with her knitting
and at the same time do "the horsemen hard behind us ride," by clapping
her heels on the hearth to sound like hoof-beats.

Acting came as naturally to Georgina as breathing. She could not repeat
the simplest message without unconsciously imitating the tone and gesture
of the one who sent it. This dramatic instinct made a good reader of her
when she took her turn with Barbara in reading aloud. They used to take
page about, sitting with their arms around each other on the old claw-
foot sofa, backed up against the library table.

At such performances the old Towncrier was often an interested spectator.
Barbara welcomed him when he first came because he seemed to want to talk
about Justin as much as she desired to hear. Later she welcomed him for
his own sake, and grew to depend upon him for counsel and encouragement.
Most of all she appreciated his affectionate interest in Georgina. If he
had been her own grandfather he could not have taken greater pride in her
little accomplishments. More than once he had tied her thread in her
needle for her when she was learning to sew, and it was his unfailing
praise of her awkward attempts which encouraged her to I keep on until
her stitches were really praiseworthy.

He applauded her piano playing from her first stumbling attempt at scales
to the last simple waltz she had just learned. He attended many readings,
beginning with words of one syllable, on up to such books as "The
Leatherstocking Tales." He came in one day, however, as they were
finishing a chapter in one of the Judge's favorite novels, and no sooner
had Georgina skipped out of the room on an errand than he began to take