Page:On the Way There (1904).djvu/31

 "The King," said the woman, reverently.

"And who built the high-road? asked Marjorie.

"A very great and good man who knew how hard it is to cross the swamp. He spent his whole life and all that he had, planning and building this wonderful roadway, and made it free for every one to use. He did it a long, long time ago," added the woman, glancing down, lovingly, at the smooth, white road.

"But why doesn't every one know about it? Has it always been used?"

The woman shook her head. "No, people forgot that it was here, for a long time. Some never knew about it, and some began going through the swamp again just for the excitement of fighting the dwarfs, and wading in the muddy pools, and playing on the islands; and the hedge grew up between, and it was lost sight of, and no one knew where it was. We are breaking down the hedge now, though," she added, happily. "See, each of us breaks off a branch wherever he can, and it is growing thinner and thinner, and by-and-by it will be all broken down and then everyone can see the high-road and will come up out of the swamp." The