Page:Emma Speed Sampson--The shorn lamb.djvu/137

Rh her as though the noise of the machinery grew louder and the water splashed more vigorously.

"You haven't any windows and you haven't any doors—but I see you have a roof with hinges! Maybe I can open it." With a mighty effort she raised the roof, slamming it wide open, and peeped down into the dank interior. "Well, you are very small to make so much noise and do so much work. I like your house, with its sides all covered with moss, but I must say you need a good airing. I guess I'll leave your roof open for some sun to get in on you while I go call on Aunt Pearly Gates. Make the most of it, Mr. Ram, because I shall have to shut you up again on my way home. I believe I'll call you Faithful Heart. I do think poor Aunt Testy is real foolish to be afraid of you; ungrateful, too, because if it were not for you she might have to come 'way down to the spring and carry up buckets of water on her head as I have read the darkeys in the South used to do. I love you, my Faithful Heart; but good-bye for awhile. I'll come back soon and shut your skylight down."

Rebecca tripped along the clay path. Her heart was light. She hummed a little tune, trying to fit some lines of poetry to it.

"Oh, what is so rare, rare, rare, as a day in