"
When Susanna and Sue alighted at the little railway station at Farnham, and
started to walk through the narrow streets that led to the suburbs, the
mother's heart beat more and more tumultuously as she realized that the issues
of four lives would be settled before nightfall.
Little did Sue reck of life issues, skipping like a young roe from one side of
the road to the other. "There are the hills, not a bit changed, Mardie!" she
cried; "and the sea is just where it was!... Here's the house with the parrot,
do you remember? Now the place where the dog barks and snarls is coming
next... P'raps he'll be dead.., or p'raps he'll be nicer... Keep close to me
till we get past the gate... He did n't come out, so p'raps he is dead or gone
a-visiting.... There's that 'specially lazy cow that's always lying down in
the Buxtons' field.... I don't b'lieve she's moved since we came away.... Do
you s'pose she stands up to be milked, Mardie? There's the old bridge over the
brook, just the same, only the woodbine's red.... There's... There's... Oh,
Mardie, look, look!... I do b'lieve it's our Jacky!"
Sue flew over the ground like a swallow, calling "Jack-y! Jack-y! It's me and
Mardie come home!"
Jack extricated himself from his sister's strangling hug and settled his
collar.
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