nt a region as she had always understood the country
to be. She knew vaguely which direction to take, and supposed that if she
kept on long enough, she would ultimately reach her destination. What she
would do when she got there she had not paused to think. At present she
was simply thrilling with the sweet consciousness of liberty, and enjoying
her scamper in the fresh spring morning air. It was not likely, perhaps,
that Marian would run right away from home, and stay away. Like any other
little chick, she would make for home at roosting time, if hunger did not
constrain her to turn her steps thitherward at a much earlier hour.

Marian's surmise that the way she had taken led into the country proved to
be correct. The street widened out into a road, the houses became fewer
and brighter till they ceased altogether; and the child realized, with a
little tremor, that, at last, she was out in the country all alone. Her
feeling was one of timid joy. All around her were the green fields and
waving trees; and the only house in sight was a little white-washed
cottage far on in front. It cost Marian an effort to pass a man with a
coal cart who presently loomed in view; but when she found that he
slouched by without taking any notice of her, she took heart again and
tripped blithely on.

Presently she found herself opposite to the little white-washed cottage;
and she remembered that she had been there once or twice with her father.
She would have been better pleased, just now, if the cottage had been on
some other road. How could she pass it without being seen? This was
plainly impossible; for there was the woman of the house--being the same
whom Marian's father met the following morning--hanging out the clothes in
the garden, close to the hedge. Marian trotted on, pretending not to know
that there was any one near. Then she felt hot all over, as she became
aware the woman had seen her, and was calling across the road. But she
just gave her dusky little head a determined shake, and pursued her way.
The woman, being weighted with an accumulation of domestic cares, without
a second thought, and much to her subsequent regret, let the little
runaway go by.

When Marian had left the cottage out of sight behind, she began to feel
lonely, and to be very much afraid. There was not a human being in sight,
except herself; and the only dwelling she could see was a farm-house,
perched on the top of a hill, away across the fields. She slack