Page:Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1903).djvu/119

Rh "I suppose your mother 'll be turrible glad to see you back again?" queried Mr. Cobb.

A tiny fear—just a baby thing—in the bottom of Rebecca's heart stirred and grew larger the moment it was touched with a question.

"She won't like it that I ran away, I s'pose, and she 'll be sorry that I could n't please aunt Mirandy; but I 'll make her understand, just as I did you."

"I s'pose she was thinkin' o' your schoolin', lettin' you come down here; but land! you can go to school in Temperance, I s'pose?"

"There 's only two months' school now in Temperance, and the farm 's too far from all the other schools."

"Oh well! there 's other things in the world beside edjercation," responded uncle Jerry, attacking a piece of apple pie.

"Ye—es; though mother thought that was going to be the making of me," returned Rebecca sadly, giving a dry little sob as she tried to drink her tea.

"It 'll be nice for you to be all together again at the farm—such a house full o' children!" remarked the dear old deceiver, who longed for nothing so much as to cuddle and comfort the poor little creature.

"It's too full—that's the trouble. But I'll make Hannah come to Riverboro in my place."

"S'pose Mirandy 'n' Jane 'll have her? I should be 'most afraid they would n't. They 'll be kind o'