At the Back of the North Wind

n the task of teaching him that very night. It was not much of a task to Diamond for his father took for the lesson book the same one which North Wind had waved the leaves of on th

h Wind doing the readin

d tell him I can read.” But before the week was out he had another reason for going to the gentleman, whose name he found out was Mr. Raymond. For three days, Nanny had not been at her c

father. “Only take car

ng distance and he had to ask his way over and over again. But

ning within. He tried the door and found it was not locked. It was a dreary place indeed — and very dark, for

face on a heap of rags in a corner. He went up to her and spoke but she made him no answer. She did not even hear him. Taking out a lump of barley sugar

after all, the servant was not going to let him in, only Mr. Raymond

said. “I suppose you have c

ir, no

n’t you r

le. But I’ve come to tell you about Na

r,” said Mr. Raymond. “

dest men in London and was well known at the children’s hospital. He hurried there now, and some one went from there at once to find Nanny. Bef

Raymond, “How do you suppose the lit

rth wind,” he said to himself. “If you have once been t

d took the boy home with him and they soon se

you do with it?” the

d she keeps all her money in it. It isn’t much but she saves it up to buy shoes for me.

nd here is the book for you,

iamond at once began to puzzle ou

e foot, but th

stands but

ms and they ar

of fingers la

of my fingers

y hair and I dri

with song I s

I fast and gr

ing rather miserable for his head ached and he looked sick. The next day, he had to stay in bed while his wife nursed him, an

mond’s room so that the poor sick father should not hear it. Diamond

is better. But the money is a

get along some how. Let me read

about the early bird tha

bird, dear,” said his mother, “a

thoughts and telling him about something he could do. The next morning he got up as soon as he heard the men moving in the yard.

opened his mouth for the bit just as if Diamond was giving him an apple. He fastened the cheek-strap very carefully, and got all the pieces of harness on and buckled. By this time some of

ay. He was very much afraid no one would hire him because he was such a little driver. But before he got to his regular stand, he was hailed by a man who wanted to catch a train and was in too great a hurry to thi

hey all said. “And you shall ha

boy, he was much astonished. “Are you the driver of this cab?” he asked. “Y

saw!” said the gentleman greatly a

back, he stopped at a stand where he had never been before and got down to put on old Diamond’s nose-bag of oats. The men there did not treat him very nicely and a group of rough boys c

here?” the c

ip?” the boys cried, “He

you, too. You’d better take yourselves away f

went in

look when she heard his cab coming at last. But there was the old horse, and there was the cab, all right! And there was Diamond on the box hi

her lap. His mother burst out crying again, but with joy this time and ran to show his father. Then

t he could and get well bundled up. His first passenger was a young woman to be taken to the docks. When he started back some roughs came along and tried to steal his fare. But a pale-faced ma

“I don’t want the money. Yo

ck, I can pay for that. Drive to the Wilderness — Mr

o marry Miss Coleman. North Wind had sunk his and Mr. Coleman’s ship because their business was not honest and was making bad men of them. She had c

iamond knew, and as he drove along he was thinking what he ought to do. The gentleman would not find Miss Coleman at the Wilderness. And if he told him wh

. So Diamond made up his mind to drive straight to where Miss Colema

ould not step into this house where friends of his lived and wait while he mended the strap. Then he ran and rang the bell and whispered to the maid who came to call Miss Coleman. A few minutes later, he was not at all sure he had

to tell his father and mother that night about Mr. Evans and th