Two Little Travellers / A Story for Girls

my parlour?' said t

little parlour tha

e parlour is up

ous things to show w

How

or now that he had come close to the children-looked in Joan's face, and witnessed Darby's brave, proud bearing-he knew Moll was right: that these were no commo

guard himself as cunningly as possible against the chances of being detected in his crime, and that was all Joe Harris possessed in the way of a conscience; that was what constituted the chief difference to him between right and wrong-the cowardly yet restraining fear of being found out. Then, if the worst did come to the worst, he would sw

rds, or if he turned rusty-so he spoke to the little lad as smoothly as he knew how. But genuine gentle speech cannot be assumed at will. It is not a manneri

is nice lady here, where the pair o'

d he tell this dreadful man the truth? and it did not occur to him to trump

rney, my sister and I

and to this odd pair, who had thrust themselves so unexpectedly and so rudely where they were not wanted. They might laugh at

yerselves," continued Joe. "Are

frightens us. God is in the dark as well as

not knowing what to say. He was n

wriggled uneasily under the confining shawl; and hearing that she was qui

h Moll understood. He was in haste to push on, for it

ings in her own way, and she understood th

place so late, my pretty?" she asked in a suga

wn; "but I's sometimes f'ightened for peoples. I's f'ightened for you, some, and I's awful f'ightened for him," added

gave the little gi

ave to come along o' us. We'll see ye safe to yer journey's end. Ye might meet tramps or g

m?" asked Joan innocently. "Will you put

licate cheek, which made the little one wince with pain and terror. "Tramps an' gipsi

h it was pretty well crusted over with wickedness and worldliness, and sometimes she seemed a little disgusted with Joe and his shady ways. She could do very well when she chose, h

d crimson cheeks, and laying violent hands on Moll's gown. But Mr. Harris pulled

rescue. "Don't you know," she continued, addressing her captor, "we're goin' to the Happy Land? D

ye are?" asked Moll curiously, seeing that Jo

uver's away livin' wif God, an' daddy's gone in the big, big ship over the sea, an' lefted Darby an' me all

had any, must be mighty careless, argued Joe, and he could do with his captives as he pleased, and nobody bother much about them-unless the

it from here, so we'd best be movin'. I'm about tired o' this foolin', anyway, an' I'm wanti

ly. "We don't know you, and we don't wa

ss Carolina an' my supper, an' my own dear comfy cwib," she added, feeling, for

nlight. And as he saw how short was the distance to its summit-although, alas! the shortness was only seeming-his heart bounded with gladness and relief; for in spite of his courageous bearing, poor Darby was dreadfully afraid. All the stray stories and ridiculous remarks-many of them nev

d's head in her shawl again, and, with Joe striding in front and Darby dragging at his heel, the party set off at a rapid rate, which sorely tried Darby's

dwindled into a narrow bridle-path. And as they proceeded, it too gradually disappeared until it was completely lost in

looked anxiously away in fron

to his wife, "but I don't see a sign o' them

g, she pointed with her finger to a spot about half a mile off where the ground dipped s

the clear sky beyond the low-lying ground, a faint trail of blue-gray smoke; and lower down, considerably below the smoke, there s

n. "My, Moll, you are a cute un, an' no mistake!-Come on, my young shaver

m," he begged, turning to Moll. "I'm much obliged to you for carrying her so far. Our way lies up the hill and yours down," continued the child,

id he, with an ugly leer, "you're comin' wi' us; that's settled, so

s fond o' sayin' funny things; that's his way. Do you see the smoke an' the light yonder?" she asked, pointing in the direction of the caravan. "Well, that's our house-the purtiest little house that ever you seed; an' when we gets home there'll be

. Then he dearly loved looking at things-odds and ends, picked up here and there, such as he imagined Moll's house contained. Joan was in a deep sleep, with her golden head pillowed on Mrs. Harris's broad shoulder. Ther

f they knocked loud enough and gave their names at the gate. Then they could rest as long as they pleased,

's busy brain very fast. Then he ans

ed little gasp, looking apprehensively up the long stretch of rough ground rising right in front, and the now gloomy hill

e yer way in the dark, sartin sure. I'll give you an' missy one o' the nice beds that's in my house, where ye'll sleep soun' as tops. Then a

my sister seems so very tired-perhaps your plan might be best," said Darby slowly. Then he added qui

"Mr. Harris himself here'll put ye on the road.

self, but I'm familiar wi' the way there. I'll start the kids for it

for the night. But he did not see the glances of triumph, greed, cunning, and cruelty which passed b

t, in spite of his disappointment over the break in their journey, Darby could not help thinking it a lucky thing that they were going to get a share. A lad of about twelve years old was feeding the fire from a pile of dry branches that lay by his side-a lad with short woolly curls, shining, gleaming white teeth, thick lips, and a skin as dark as if he had been blackleaded all over. He was a negro, Darby knew. He

of a child. But when at the sound of Joe Harris's footsteps it rose, moved slowly close to the crossbars, stood on tiptoe, lifted

with a huge, broad-shouldered body, square and solid as Moll's own, overgrown head, covered with a thick mop of heavy dark hair, pale, sad face, weary eyes, short, stunted legs, large feet, and the longest arms, the thinnest hands Darby had ever seen in all his life. This was Bambo

t in all the bravery of scarlet coat and jaunty forage cap, perched on top of it? Darby steals forward step by step to get a closer view. The bundle of fur unrolls itself, grunts a

in behind Moll, whence he gazed fascinated upon the grotesque group, ove

The skinny piebald horses had been unloosed from its shafts, freed of their harness, and, with rude fetters on their legs, tur