Part 10 (1/2)

”You never seem to be years and years older than me, Aunt Maggie,” Bella said one day, ”for you always seem to understand and to like what I like.”

Aunt Maggie smiled. ”Some people's hearts don't grow old as fast as their bodies,” she said thoughtfully. ”I think it must be that which makes them understand.”

”I hope my heart won't ever get old,” said Bella seriously. ”It must be dreadful not to take any interest in people or anything.”

One Sunday, the last of this old life, so comparatively happy and free of care, Mrs. Langley stopped Bella just as she was leaving.

”I want you to come in to see me to-morrow,” she said, ”and bring Tom with you. I am making a print frock for you, and a holland coat for him to wear to market on Sat.u.r.days. They'll be much more comfortable for you both than your thick cloth ones.” Then, in answer to Bella's cry of delight, ”You must thank your Aunt Emma, too; 'twas she thought of it first, and I told her that if she'd get the stuff I'd make the things.

There now, run away home, it is time you were putting Margery to bed.

No, I shall not tell you the colour,” laughing, as she loosened Bella's arms which she had flung round her in her delight; ”you will know to-morrow.”

”I hope it is pink,” said Bella earnestly, eyeing her aunt closely, to see if she could read anything from her face, but Mrs. Langley only smiled.

”Well, you will know by this time to-morrow. Now, run away, or they will be wondering what has become of you.”

”To-morrow is such a long way off,” sighed Bella. ”It'll never come!”

To-morrow came, as all to-morrows do, and, to Bella's great delight, the frock turned out to be as pretty a pink as she could possibly desire.

It was very simply made, with just a plain skirt and belted bodice, but when she saw it finished, and with little white collar and cuffs added, Bella thought it the prettiest frock she had ever seen in her life.

Perhaps it was the prettiest she had ever possessed, for Aunt Emma did not understand that clothes could be pretty as well as serviceable, and most of poor Bella's frocks had been of heavy brown or black stuff, made without any tr.i.m.m.i.n.g, and with never a vestige of white at neck or wrists,--a dainty finish which Bella loved the look of.

In spite of the heat and the long walk in it, Bella waited impatiently for the following Sat.u.r.day, and surely, she thought, never had a week been so long in pa.s.sing.

It was September now, but the weather was as hot and stifling as it had been in July. The days were shorter, and the sun went down earlier, but, apart from the sun, the oppressive heat lasted on throughout the nights, which were almost as trying as the day. The earlier summer flowers were over, and the drought had prevented the later ones from coming on well, so that it was difficult to get a good supply week by week.

Bella and Tom no longer carried in the things from their own little gardens only, or they would often have found they had not enough to make it worth their while; but all contributed something that they had to sell, and it was quite a serious business to make up the accounts and divide the money when the little market-gardeners got home from market.

Each one now had a money-box or Savings Bank account. Aunt Emma was delighted. ”It is ever so much better for them than wasting their time playing,” she said to Mrs. Langley one day. ”Much better.”

”They ought to play, too,” said Aunt Maggie quietly; ”this is their play-time. All the rest of their life will be taken up with trying to earn a living. Let them play too, when they can.”

As Bella and Tom started off that morning in their nice new cool garments, they thought that work would be ever so much nicer than play, if one could only go about it dressed like that always. Tom felt quite grown-up and business-like in his linen coat, and Bella felt another being, her frock was so much lighter and so pretty, too, and cool and clean.

”I think our new clothes have brought us good luck,” she said, as long before the morning was over they had sold out most of what they had brought. The 'good luck' was that in their new garments, looking cool and fresh, they attracted the notice of those who had overlooked them in their heavier, uglier clothes.

When the time came for them to have their meal, they had sold out everything, to the very last apple.

”We could start for home now,” said Bella, who was suffering much less from the heat than usual, ”only that I've got some shopping to do for Aunt Emma.”

”And we've got to buy the seeds,” said Tom. ”It wouldn't do to start back too early; father wouldn't have time to get to the milestone to meet us.”

So they went and had their lunch in a leisurely, lazy way, talking all the time they munched at their sandwiches and apples. ”I've got four s.h.i.+llings for father, and threepence for Margery,” said Bella, counting up her takings, ”and two s.h.i.+llings for myself.”

”And I've got two s.h.i.+llings too,” chimed in Tom.

This was a large sum to children brought up in the country, where the best-paid workmen earned only twelve and sixpence a week.

Their meal ended, they went back to the shops and people again, and made their purchases, and at last were able to turn their steps homeward.

”Instead of being early, we're later than usual,” said Tom. ”Father will have to wait a bit for us.”