Nobody's Girl

on the quays, four rows deep, carts and wagons were massed together. Coal carts, carts heaped with hay and straw, all were waiting

faded, so dirty and worn, that one could only guess what its original color had been. Neither was it possible to make out the inscriptions which were painted on the four sides. Most of the words were effaced. On one side there was a Greek word, the next side bore part of a German word, on the third side were the letters

in Europe. Its coat was a beautiful dark grey, the beauty of which could be seen despite the dust which covered it. Its slender legs were marked with jet black lines, and worn out though the poor beast was, it still held its head high. The harness, worthy of the caravan, was

xture of race. The pale blond of her hair contrasted strangely with the deep, rich coloring of her cheeks, and the sweet expression of her face was accentuated by the dark, serious eyes

ired much watching, but every now and again he pulled out the straw, in a cautious

at!" said the girl

of straw he began to blink his eyes and agitate his ears, then again discreetly, but eagerly,

colding him, a voice from w

rri

the canvas and passed inside, where a p

need m

e doing, dear?"

traw off the cart t

ust st

so h

does not belong to us. What will you say

likare doesn't do it aga

soon be

waiting for

uch longer

you in more p

in here," replied the woman, gasping. Then sh

she was only about twenty-nine years of age, her life was ebbing away. There still remained traces of

you something?

ha

ar by. I can buy a lemon

little. Go back to Palikare and

sy," answered

him on his haunches until he was out

he spoke to him gently and stroked him, and kissed him on his nose; then

him now, so she amused herself with w

the circus caravans standing in the rear, had been strolling round her for ten long m

ne donkey,"

d not

this country. If it

hat after all he looked rather like a

rom Greece,

e!" he

he's calle

that'

not at all sure why a donkey that came

far ...

ry

than ..

t's a long

ome from Gr

ther tha

m Ch

the only one that

going to

N

yer g

o Pa

ere yer goin' to put

re are some free places r

lapped his thighs

fications:

here any

es

l, t

er got any men with yer? Big strong men who are not afraid of a

mother and me, a

h of that donkey?

uld sa

e'll be gone tomorrow. Then the rest'll c

all

ou've never been

nev

ere to put your cart up, but you can't put

know Grai

eedn't be afraid of him, and he'd shoot

ost much t

s time I'm sure he won't make you pay more than forty sous a week. A

ay he does

im, and Grain-of-Salt isn't a bad chap,"

name ... Gr

use he's always thirsty

lace far

I bet yer don't even k

been to Pa

e." He waved his arms vague

d you follow the road all along the fortifications for half an hour, then go down a wide av

you'll stand beside Palikare for a m

for yer. I'll ask h

n't let him ea

avan and told her mother wh

"we must not hesitate; we must go to

wagons outside; they have printed on them 'Maraucourt Factories,' and beneath that the name,

arkable in that, my c

wagons with the same name on them," re

his nose buried in the straw

ng him eat it!" sh

y not?" h

the man

small boy, putting himself in a posit

oment the custom officer began to search the cart of straw, and

o leave you. Goodbye, Mademoiselle. If you ever want

ent into Perrine's caravan looked surprised when he found a young woman lying on a mattress, and

clare?" he asked, contin

thi

, no pro

thi

a little table, a tiny stove, a camera and a few photographic supplies

ou can pass,"

looking men lying on their backs or on their stomachs. She saw now the class of people who frequent this spot. From the very air of these men, with their b

as Paris, the beautiful Paris of which her father had so often spoken. With one word she

to which road she should take to get there, and several times, in trying

ere was an old omnibus without wheels, and a railway car, also without wheels, was on the g

to the field. The pups at once scrambled at

re?" calle

stone, wood and plaster. Even tin boxes were used in its construction. The roof was made of tarred canvas and cardboard, and most of the window panes w

d was sorting out rags and throwin

y dogs," he crie

as she w

r of the Guillot

e!" repli

te his time while listening, he poured some red wine out of a

you pay in advance,"

ch?" sh

he wagon and twenty for

money," she sai

s my p

summer

y summe

key eat the

also if his teeth

only going to stay one day. We are going through

ix sous a day for the cart

out nine sous from t

t day," she said, ha

," he said, "How many are there? If it's a who

only my

didn't your mother c

n the wag

this isn't

at he would not let h

tle bit tired. We'v

r of the field, and added: "You can put your wagon over there and tie up the donkey. And

going he

take a gla

he replied; "I

id; "I'll dri

ss, then returned to h

pointed out to her, which was accomplished not without some jolts,

poor mama," she said,

more rolling about,"

ome dinner," said Perrine chee

; he is very tired also; and giv

ieces of coal and an old saucepan and some sticks. Outside, she went down on her knees and made a f

ouldn't you?" she asked,

not hu

cy? I'll go and fetch anything you wa

efer rice," s

e rice with two white sticks that she had stripped of their bark. She only left her cooking once, to run over to Palikare to say a few lovi

two plates and two forks. Sitting down on the floor, with her legs tucked under her and her skirts spread out, she said

s she looked at her mother lying on the mattress, covered with an old sha

mouthful of rice, then she looke

down very well,

rrine; "the second will go down be

no, I can

, m

gasping. But weak though she was, she

As you do the work you must feed well. You must be ver

r dinner. Her mother continued to talk to her. Little by

eat, mother?" she as

'm ill

a doctor. We are in Paris now a

t put themselves out

ll p

hat, my

ur pocket and a florin which we could change

, for it had been brushed, was lying on the bed, and served

all?" asked Perrine; "I do

e more than you,"

ncs, they found they had nine

an what is needed for a

th words; we shall h

lso thinking of both of us, but mostly of you, mama, because you are sick. And I was thinking of our arrival at Maraucourt. Everybody has laughed at our wago

ll it. Now that you are ill, no one will let me take their pictures, and even if they wou

ch can we g

then there is the cam

," said the

mind, do you, m

e, and although it's a poor thing, it makes me sad to part with it.... It is all that rema

; the tears were rol

er, for speaking abou

f the things that I should have. I shall not be better tomorrow nor the

ated. There was

said Perri

ht that also?"

look at him for fear he would guess that we were going to part with him instead of takin

to lie down by the roadside and die, but no matter what it costs, we must get to Maraucourt, an

emory of papa ... he was so good. Could

r him we will have a doctor, so that I can get stronger; then, when I am well enough, we will buy a nice dress fo

s a fine donkey, and he knows, for he is in a circus. It was be

y would bring in Paris, but we'll see a

f stockings and two combinations, she put them all into a basin, and with her washboard and a piece of soap she went outside. She had ready some boiling water which she had put on th

anced her way several times. When he saw that she had finished her task he stret

saucepan, which she had carefully rinsed, for if he was satisfied with all the food that they gave him, he was very particula

d thrown himself down on the grass the moment he was free, placed his head against her shoulder. He loved his

dim roar of the great city, deep, powerful, mysterious; the breath and life of Paris, active and i

at she had had with her mother, and leaning her head against her donkey's, she let the tears, which she