Page:Indira and Other Stories.pdf/70

 Festival in a strange village? I am not sure that you are a very prudent young girl."

By degrees, word by word, with kindly and humorous questions, he induced the child to tell him the story of the garlands, and of her disappointed hopes of earning money for her mother. He learned that it was not really to see the Car Festival that our little maiden had gone to Mahesh, but to sell her poor little garlands so as to buy necessaries for her sick mother. And she had not been able to sell her garlands. She was hugging them to her bosom now.

"Well", he said, "this is a wonderful thing. I was just looking for just such a garland for our family idol. The fair broke up so suddenly that I could not buy what I wanted. Will you sell me one of your garlands?"

Radharani was hugely pleased. But, she thought, how can I ask a price of a stranger who has come to my aid so kindly and generously? And again the thought came, "But if I don't, what is poor mother to do for the food she needs?"