Autumn

sparrow sang an uncertain song; and she heard the comfortable drip, drip, drip from the eaves. It was damp and fresh at the window; the breeze, cold and fr

it in the sun, but youth was best of all in bad weather. "There's no telling where you are in the rain. A

her that folks were always peering and prying, to make sure that every one e

n called her Sara Barly's rebellious daughter. As Mrs. Ploughman belonged to the Methodist side of the town, Mrs. Tomkins w

llious over?" she asked, peeri

loughman, "she's sorry

omkins, "I never hea

heard of, Mrs. Tomkins

to hear," said Mrs. Tom

ut her own room in order by tumbling everything into the closet and shutting the door. Then she went

you gapi

thi

ed. "You're not feeble-m

not," s

that," said

anted him to be in love with her, although she said to herself: "I am not in love with any one." Sometimes she thought that her heart was buried in France, with N

air damp and searching. From the trees overhead as she passed, icy drops rained down upon her; she felt the silence all about h

not amuse her to play at post-office; she was sad because she was no longer able to be gay. As she passed the little cottage belonging to Mrs. Wicket, she thought to herself: "Yes, you've seen something of life. But not what I wan

d, "put something in

skipping down the path to the road. As she drew near, her progress became sl

ked up and down the road, to se

r. Jeminy made me out of

said

said Juliet, who had

s a fact," t

a, "isn't that elegant?

s staring sole

is," sa

ng," asked Anna, "

ilford," said Juliet. "Do

hat playing was somet

think I'm as little as you are?" But instead, she

I declare, I do wan

ind the house. But Anna sat down in the grass. "Just you wait," she sa

s showing Anna how to play store. She tied her apron around her little belly, and came forwar

Mrs. Tomkins, the carpenter's wife. "This is the way to have

out anything more to say. Anna was warm and happy; she wanted to hug Juliet, to hold her

king about?" she a

said Juliet, "it's fu

little thing," she cried. And taking the child in her arms,

tle," she sa

ft her empty. "I expect everybody in the world is old," she said

old, do you thi

id Anna. "I don't

aid Juliet. "What

t fields, the drenched hillsides, shrouded in mist.

od-by," s

anding in front of the barn she grew pink and confused. For she thought that Anna had come

s going on . . . I only st

her in silence. Then, with a sigh, she turned, and went indoors. But Anna ran and ran until she was t

itself, running away from Mrs. Wicket, from her mother, from Tho

d, "I won't, I won'

ev

t by the side of the road, got up wit

rt beating with fright; her lips trembled, her eyes filled with tears. She stood staring at Mr. Je

ut crying. "I can't help it," she cried, betwee

d he gazed up at the tree tops, dark

rted home again with Mr. Jeminy. "I don't know what go

y, "I think-why, I think this wet weather will pass,

s tired; she had played, she ha

d at the checkerboard, and stroked their chins. Farmer Barly stood watching them. He puffed on his pipe, and nodded his

ted to win; he only wanted to do all the jumping. "Let me do the taking," he would have said, "and you can do the winning." When Mr. Crabbe hopped over three

n, Mr. F.," sa

. There were no more jumps for him to make

ou are,"

d Mr. Crabbe. And he

't know as I'm feeling very goo

na Barly entered the s

ehind the counter, cam

heeks, which were pale,

ht. "Well, I don't car

op f

r mother had wanted a

eleven,"

They're just laying to settle me down," she thought. And turning to hide her face

rye; "maybe I'd better go and see what Anna wan

e." And he winked first at Mr. Barly, and then

w to ripe. In my time we went at it smarter." And he looked thoughtfully at Anna Barly. He saw her in the form of acres of land, live stock, farm buildings, and money in

he was being hurried. "She's well enough where she is,"

d to the day." And he waved his hand ki

lked toward the door,

u to-night," Thomas w

as gone, Mr. Frye gave his son a keen glance. In it was both curiosity and malice. But Thomas turned away. It seemed

oard. He took up two of Mr. Frye's men and put them in his pocket. Then he

et his daughter away from him. "Well," he said in his mind, to Mr. Frye, "just go easy. Just g

nitting over, for society's sake. Mrs. Ploughman received him with quiet dignity, due to a sense of the wrong she had suffered, for which she blamed Mrs. Wicket, and

orld is in a bad way," she declared. "I don't know what we're coming to." An

e are leaving behind us a difficult task for those who follow.

behind," said Mrs. Ploug

ot," ejaculated

hing ever suits them until they're in mischief; and then it's up to their

Mr. Jeminy, "who get t

ed?" said Mr

t." And she gave Mr. Jem

one for them, year in and year out, o

ked Mrs. Crabbe

"it's another. Trouble and death-that's a woma

of everything," re

o them, in the light of the Lord. I can tell you, Mrs. Crabbe, I won't be sorry to go. My folks are waiting there for me." Her voice t

"you believe in an afte

a life hereafter, when our sorrows will be repaid us. There weren't all those hearts broke for not

med with energy, "these are terrible times. Now they give me tea without sugar in it. For

th vigor, to show what she t

into trouble. And artful folk, who'd ought to know better, with the life

rose to go. "You are right," he said; "no one wi

u been all day

en spending the afternoon at Mrs. Wicket's. "I have been to ca

or supper, because Mr. Jeminy liked them better than squash. The bowl of squa

e said to Mr. Jeminy, "because the