He bounded toward the fence, barking
furiously, and in a moment Nannie discovered that he had pushed open
the gate and was upon the street. She fled at full speed away beyond
the shop and down another street. At last a corner hid him from view,
and he did not follow her. She dared not retrace her steps for fear of
meeting him, and she abandoned all hope of a visit to the bakery. There
must be other ways back to the road, though, she thought, and she
wandered up one street and down another without coming to any building
that looked familiar. She had lost her way entirely, and grew more and
more bewildered as she wandered. The stars came out thickly in the sky,
and it seemed to her that she had been traveling for hours. Finally she
found herself in a quiet, unfrequented part of the town, and then the
brave little heart failed utterly, and frightened, homesick, and
terribly weary, she sank down by the road-side, sobbing bitterly. She
did not hear the sound of wheels, nor notice the horses drawn up beside
her, until some one called:
"Hello, little one! what's the matter?"
She had heard that neighborly voice too often not to recognize it now,
and she sprang up in wild delight.
Pages:
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156