Josephine Daskam Bacon

“ Spot's been dead these ten years."
"And Lorilla," says Connie. "Is she dead, too?"
"I don't see how you ever got in there," said Mrs. Edward; "it beats all how things will go wrong some days. Sick people are a great care."
You see she never answered Connie's question at all. As soon as they got back she sent Connie out to play, and then she called Mrs. Annie and Aunt Betsy, and Connie knew perfectly well that she was telling them about it, from the way they looked out of the window at her. ”

“ And Aunt Betsy kissed her, and they all cried, and Mrs. Edward's husband said, "Well, well!" That's every word she ever heard him say.
Of course she told them where she had been, and then she said, "Was Lorilla your sister, Mrs. Annie?"
Connie says they looked at her and then at each other and never said a word. Then they all began to say something, and all stopped together. Finally Aunt Betsy said: "Well, Annie, there's no need to make a bad matter worse by fightin' the truth. Nobody knows what mother's said, so we might's well out with it." ”

“ THE trouble is that ever since it happened Connie hasn't been able to remember so well about the strange thing's at Aunt Betsy's. It all seems to slip away from her, and more and more all the time. It is a very good thing she told Ben and me about it as soon as she got here, because now she will even ask Ben questions, like, "What was it I said when they asked me whether she talked to me?" ”

“ The sound of the rain made her feel sleepy, it was so quiet in there, and the catnip and things smelled so strong, too—such things always make Con sleepy. So she fell asleep, and the water leaked in right over her shoulder, and when she woke up she was quite wet, and the doll's things, too. It was awfully dark and she was scared to death, so she just tumbled the things under the trunk and felt her way down-stairs, and changed her dress quickly so that Mrs. Annie shouldn't be worried, for her throat felt sore. ”

“ Annie, and she came running to Connie's room, and when Connie told her that the little girl hadn't found her father, after all, but was hiding behind the barn and too afraid to come out, Mrs. Annie stared at her in the strangest way and said: "Child, you're dreaming. There's no little girl there. You've been walking in your sleep."
"I think I know a person when I see one," said Connie, half crying, "and she waved her hand to me, too. You go down behind the barn and you'll see."
"Oh, nonsense!" said Mrs. Edward. "Look here, child ”

“ Then he made a prayer and everybody knelt down, and Connie can't remember what he said except the end: "who in Thine own good time revealest everything, so that we may be at peace. Amen."
"And now please give me my locket," says Connie, who tried to be polite while he was praying, "for my throat is so sore." ”

“ The longest-living author of this work died in 1961, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 61 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works. ”