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74 ‘ BEATAESIEA.
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| ' ‘The clock again struck—that time in such a sharp, reproving
a way, that it reached even Sarah’s ear. Shestarted, looked nervqus-
rf ly round, and saw. the heap of books upon the table. .
i ~ Qh, dear me,’’ she sithed; * those tiresome Jéssons! I had for-
| gotten all about them.’ Well, I will go to studying ina moment,’
she added, as if addressing her conscience or her fears. ‘* Oh, that
| robin— how he does sing. 33
i - She forgot her books again, and just at that moment there was 0
| ; new object of interest added to those which the garden already pos- post
mt sess
5 ‘The side door of. the house opened, and an old gentleman stepped
out upon ‘the broad stoop, stood there for a few moments, ev idently
enjoying the morning air, then passed slowly down the steps into
the garden supporting himself by his stout cane, and walking with
considerable care and difficulty, like any feeble old man.
Sarah had often seen him before, and she knew very well. who he
was. He was the owner of the house that the simple girl so cov eted,
and his name was Danforth.
She had learned every. thing about him, ' asa school-gitl i is sure to
do concerning any person or thing that strikes her fancy. He was
very wealthy indeed, and had no fi umily except his wife, the tidiest, :
darling old lady, who often walked in the garden herself, and always gt
touched the flowers, as she passed, as if they had. been pet children.
“The venerable old pair had a grandson, but he was away in Eu-
rope, so they lived in-their pleasant mansion quite alone, with the
exception of a few domestics, who looked nearly as aged and respect-
able as their master anc mistress.
Sarah had speculated a great deal about her neighbors. She'did
so long to know them, to be free to run around in their garden, and
sit in the pleasant rooms that overlooked it, glimpses of which she
had often obtained through the open Window 8, When the housemaid
was putting things to rights.
~ Sarah thought “that she might possibly be a little afraid of the old
gentleman, he looked so stern; but his wife she longed to kiss and
make friends with at once; she looked so gentle and kind, that even
a bird could not have been afraid of her.
’ Sarah‘ watched Mr. Danforth walk slowly. down the principal
garden-path, and seat himself in a little arbor overrun by a trumpet
honeysuckle, which was not yet in blossom, although there were
faint traces of red-among the green leaves, which gave promise of
an ample store of blossoms before many weeks.
- He sat there some time, apparently enjoying the sunshine that
- stole in through the leaves. At length Sarah saw him rise, move.
toward the entrance, pause an instant, totter, then fall heavily upon
the ground.
‘She did not wait even to cry. out — every. energy of her free, strong
nature was aroused. She flew .out of her room down the stairs,
fortunately encountering neither teachers nor pupils, and hurried
out of the strect-door,
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