[Crook R. arm as though offering it for aid.]

""Twas there one day, in the month of May,
I met a loving lad,"

They greet each other.]

[Point to stile. Enter boy.

"And in my sweetest tones,

I asked him would he mind,
Would he be so very kind,

As to help me o'er those four most awkward stones?”

[Girl points to boy, then to self, then to stile, face expressing inquiry.]

"He helped me 'one,' he helped me 'two',"

[Boy takes girl's hand, leads her to stile; pantomime of helping her up two steps, girl daintily grasping dress.]

"And then to my surprise, he paused and said:" [Boy kneels at girl's feet; girl looks at him in surprise.] "Rose, I love you. I only laughed."

[Boy clasps hands at chest; girl laughs.]

"Rose, do you love me?"

[Boy throws arms front in entreaty; girl still laughs.] "I said, 'Not I."

[Girls shakes head "no," pointing to self.]

"Then stay where you are, sweetheart,' said he,
And turned away without another word!"

[Boy rises, shakes fist at girl, walks away; girl looks troubled.] “I could not get up or down in my fright,”

[Girl makes ascending gesture with R. hand, shaking head "no."]

"What was I to do in such a sad and sorry plight?
What was I to do in such a sad and sorry plight?"

[Girl holds arms out front oblique. Boy stands back to her at one side of stage. Hold through instrumental interlude.]

66

"Come back! Come back!' I wildly cried,

'Come back! Come back! I want to go to town,''

[Girl looks as though ready to cry; beckons frantically to boy. Boy turns slowly around.]

"If you help me o'er the stile, you'll gain my

sweetest smile,”

[Girl points to boy, then to self, then touches lips with ring finger of R. hand and carries hand out in direction of partner. Boy walks toward girl, face indicative of “Are you sure?" ] "And p'raps I'll tell you more when I am down."

[Girl puts hands on heart, nodding head "yes." ]

"He helped me 'three,' he helped me 'four,"

[Boy takes girl's hand; pantomime of climbing two steps.] "Then, with a laugh, I bounded lightly o'er."

[Girl pantomimes running down four steps; laughing expression.]

"Rose, what say you? I only laughed."

[Boy holds arms out entreatingly. Girl looks over shoulder at him laughingly.]

"Rose, you promised!' I said, 'Not I."

[Boy holds R. hand out supine, nods head "yes." Girl turns partly facing him, points to self, shakes head "no."]

"I told him to stay where he was just then,
And tripped away without another word."

[Girl shakes finger at boy, runs away a few steps.]
"He did not get up, he did not go down,"

[Boy stands with head bowed, looking very dejected.]

"But sat upon the stile, looking at me with a frown," [Girl takes attitude of defiance, boy looks at girl frowningly.] "And if you cross the hill, and walk about a mile,"

[Girl takes a few steps, points backward at boy, laughs.]

"I think you'll find him sitting on that selfsame stile." [Boy holds position looking very melancholy; girl runs off stage, pointing back at boy laughingly.]

cross the hill, by my father's mill, And walk along the fields a- bout a mile,

If you

By the