A Litte Princess

hat the lamps were lighted and the shop windows blazed with gas as they do at night, an odd-looking

, who held her in his arm, as she stared out of the window at the pas

and Sara Crewe was only seven. The fact was, however, that she was always dreaming and thinking odd things and could not herself remember any t

thinking of the big ship, of the Lascars passing silently to and fro on it, of the children playing about on the ho

ng sun, and then in the middle of the ocean, and then driving in a strange vehicle through strange street

ysterious little voice which

ered, holding her closer and looking down

whispered, cuddling still c

at last." And though she was only seven years

ether and been fond of each other. She only knew he was rich because she had heard people say so when they thought she was not listening, and she had also heard them say that when she grew up she would be rich, too. She did not know all that being rich meant. She had always lived in a beautiful bungalow, a

e sent away from it--generally to England and to school. She had seen other children go away, and had heard their fathers and mothers talk about the letters they received from them. She had known th

d asked when she was five years old. "Couldn't you g

e there will be a lot of little girls, and you will play together, and I will send you plenty of books, and you will grow

in the world, and if one must go away to "the place" in England to attain it, she must make up her mind to go. She did not care very much for other little girls, but if she had plenty of books she could console herself.

tly, "if we are here I sup

great companion to him, and he felt he should be a lonely fellow when, on his return to India, he went into his bungalow knowing he need not expect to see the small figure in it

thers in its row, but that on the front door there shon

MIN

nary for Yo

Miss Minchin. It was respectable and well furnished, but everything in it was ugly; and the very armchairs seemed to have hard bones in them. In the hall everything was hard and polished--even the red cheeks of the moon face on the tall

iff mahogany chairs, Sara cast o

then I dare say soldiers-- even brave one

He was young and full of fun, and he neve

do when I have no one to say solemn things

hings make you laugh

. And then suddenly he swept her into his arms and kissed her very hard, stop

arge, cold, fishy smile. It spread itself into a very large smile when she saw Sara and Captain Crewe. She had heard a great many desirable things of the young soldier from t

ain Crewe," she said, taking Sara's hand and stroking it. "Lady Meredith has told me of h

xed upon Miss Minchin's face. She w

autiful. She has dimples and rose-colored cheeks, and long hair the color of gold. I have short black hair and green eyes; besides w

rather tall for her age, and had an intense, attractive little face. Her hair was heavy and quite black and only curled at the tips; her eyes were greenish gray, it is true, but they were big, wonderful eyes with long,

thought; "and I should know I was telling a story. I believe

e had said it. She discovered that she said the same thin

tain Crewe had a great respect for Lady Meredith's experience. Sara was to be what was known as "a parlor boarder," and she was to enjoy even greater privileges than parlor boarders us

ose burrowing into books. She doesn't read them, Miss Minchin; she gobbles them up as if she were a little wolf instead of a little girl. She is always starving for new books to gobble, and she wants grown-up books--great, big, fat ones--Frenc

ery few days I should have more than I could be fond of. Dolls oug

ss Minchin and Miss Minchi

mily?" sh

," Captain Crew

ooked very solemn and qu

uy for me. We are going out together to find her. I have called her Emily. S

fishy smile became v

!" she said. "What a d

se. "She is a darling little creature. Ta

man and wanted his little girl to have everything she admired and everything he admired himself, so between them they collected a wardrobe much too grand for a child of seven. There were velvet dresses trimmed with costly furs, and lace dresses, and embroidered ones, and hats with great, soft ostrich feathers, and er

to a number of toy shops and looked at a g

"--and she put her head on one side and reflected as she said it--"the trouble with dolls is that they never seem to HEAR>." So they looked at big ones

f, when I find her, she has no frocks, we can take her to a dressmaker an

b follow them. They had passed two or three places without even going in, when, as they were approac

he cried. "T

ession in her green-gray eyes as if she had just re

there for us!" she said

, "I feel as if we ought to h

you," said Sara. "But I knew her the minu

a large doll, but not too large to carry about easily; she had naturally curling golden-brown hair, which hung like a mantle abou

o her face as she held her on her k

ardrobe as grand as Sara's own. She had lace frocks, too, and velvet and muslin ones, and h

child with a good mother," said Sara. "I'm her mo

t that a sad thought kept tugging at his heart. This all meant that

on the pillow and Emily's golden-brown hair mingled with it, both of them had lace-ruffled nightgowns, and both had long eyelashes which lay and curled up on t

himself "I don't believe you know

s solicitors, Messrs. Barrow & Skipworth, had charge of his affairs in England and would give her any advice she wanted, and that they wou

and she never wants anything it

each other good-by. Sara sat on his knee and held the lapels of

heart, little Sara?" he

side my heart." And they put their arms round each ot

her eyes following it until it had turned the corner of the square. Emily was sitting by her, and she looked after it, to

te little voice from inside. "I want

She was really the better-natured person of the two, but she never dis

ister," she said. "She has locked herself in, an

in answered. "I expected that a child as much spoiled as she is would set the whol

er saw anything like them--sable and ermine on her coats, and real Valenciennes lace

y will look very well at the head of the line when we take the schoolchildren to

at the corner round which the cab had disappeared, while Captain Crewe lo