Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-12
CHAPTER VIII.
The Heart of a Child.

| showed no sign of life AS he drew near.
the door suddenly opened, and with niue
| cry of welcome the child rushed out to him.
How lovely OF you she cried Il saw
YOU coming from my window
You are up early" he SAID sFaii'hs
| down at her. ..,
| ...rhe sun woke me- she answered IL
| always does | was going down 10 the
| sands Shall we so together? Or WOMB
| Won like to go into the gardens at Ire
| dowen? The flowers are beauulul lheie
| while the dew is on them
| Il am afraid" Aynesworth answered
! that | cannot do either ! have come To
say goodbye.
| sudden. The delicate beauty of her gleam-
| ing eyes and quiyering mouth had van
| shed. She was once more the pal'' wan
little child he had seen coming Slowly up
| the garden path at Tredowen
| Are Won going-so SOON" she murmured.
| i, He took her hand and led her away over
| the short green turf of the common.
l. We only came for few hours. he
told her. But | have good news for you.
| Juliet unless you know already. MT.
| Saunders has found out some OF your
| friends They are going TO look after you
properly and you will not be alone any
| more
What time are you going?" she asked
rSIlly child" he answered. giving her
| hand a shake. Listen to what am tell
ing you. You are going to have friends
! to look after you always. Aren't you
/ aDV'h
glad2'
mo. am NOT glad" she answered pas
sionately. II don't want you to go away.
/ l am-lonely.
!. Her arms, sssddenly sought his neck. and
her face was buried on his shoulder. He
! soothed her as well as he could.
II must go, little girl" he said. FOR l
am off TO America almost at once. As
soon as l can after L come back VIII
come and see you.
You have only been here one day" she
sobbed.
| Il would stay IL could, dear" Aynes-
| worth answered. Come, dry those eyes
and be brave girl. Think how nice II
| will be to go and live with people who VIII
take care OF you properly, and be fond OF
you. Why. you may have pony, and all
| sorts of nice things"
| 81 don't want a pony" she answered.
hanging on his arm. Il don't want to go
away. l want to stay here-and wait TIL
you come back"
He laughed
why when I come back little woman"
he answered, you will be almost grown
up. Come, dry your eyes now. and will tell
you what we will do. You shall come back
with me to breakfast, and then drive up to
the station and see off,
II should like to come" she whispered.
| but am afraid of the other gentleman"
Very likely we shant see him. Aynes-
worth answered. IF we do he won't hurt
| you
| II don't like his facet" she persisted.
wen. won't look at it," Aynesworth
answered. But breakfast we must have!'
| They were halfway through the meal.
and Juliet had quite recovered her spirits.
when Wingrave entered. He looked at the
| two with impressive face, and took his
| place at the table. He wished the child
good morning carelessly, but made no
! remark as to her presence there.
| Il have just been telling Juliet some good
| news, Aynesworth remarked. Il went to
see Mr.. Saunders, the vicar here last
night and he has found out some of her
fathers friends: They are going to look
| after her."
wingrave showed no interest in the in
formation. But moment later he adj
dressed Juliet for the first time.
Are you glad that you are going away
from Tredowen?" he. asked.
| II am very. very sorry" she answered,
the tears gathering once more in her eyes.
| But you want to go to school, don't you,
and see other girls?" he asked.
| She shook her head decidedly.
| 1T will break my heart" she said quiet
| ly, Ito leave Tredowen. l think that IL
| have to go away from the pictures, and
the garden. and the sea, l shall never DO
| You are a child he remarked con-
temptuously: you do not understand. II
you go away. you can learn to paint pic
| lures yourself like those at Tredowen. You
| will find that the world is full of other
| beautiful places"
The sympathetic aspect of his words was
| altogether destroyed by the thin note of
1
| derstood. She felt that he was mockng
| her.
! Il could never be happy" she said sim
| ply. away from Tredowen. You under
stand, don't your" she added. turning con-
| fidentially to Aynesworth.
You think SO now. dear" he said, but
! remember that you are very young. There
are many things for you to learn before
| you grow up
II am not a Ounce" she replied 81 can
| talk French and German, and do arith-
metic. and play the organ. Father used
to teach me these things. I can learn at
| friends will let me stay here"
Wingrave took no more notice of her.
She and Aynesworth walked together to
| the station. AS they passed the little
whitewashed cottage she suddenly let 20
| his hand and darted inside.
wait one moment" she cried breath
| lessly.
She reappeared almost at once. holding
something tightly clenched in her right
| hand. She showed 1t to him shyly.
1T Is for you, please" she said.
It was a silver locket. and inside was
| little picture Of herself. Aynesworth
stopped down and kissed her. He had had
| as many presents in his life as most men,
| but never an offering which came to him
! quite like that! They stood still for mo-
| ment, and he held out her hands. For those
| few moments there seemed note of dis
cortland then the harsh whistle of an APP
preaching train! They took hold of hands
1t was. perhaps, we'll that their fare
wells were cut short There scarcely
time for more than a few hurried words
before the train moved out from the queer
little station, and with his head out OF the
window Aynesworth waved his hand to
the black frocked child, with her pale, eager
face already stained with tears-alone.
Wingrave, who had been buried In
morning paper looked up presently.
'.If our journeyings," he remarked dryly,
"are to contain everywhere incidents such
as these, they will become a sort Of SEN
timental pilgrimage"
Aynesworth shrugged his shoulders.
II am sorry" he said, that my interest
in the child has annoyed you. At any rate.
1t is over now. The parson was mysterious
but he assured that she provided
for"
Wingrave looked across the carriage with
cold, reflective curiosity.
"Your point of view" he remarked. lis a
mystery to me! 1 cannot see how the
future Of an unf1edged brat like that can
possibly concern you!"
Perhaps not" Aynesworth answered.
s'butv hat