Page:The railway children (IA railwaychildren00nesb 1).pdf/171

 "Who on earth!" said Peter, scrambling down.

"Let's go and see," said Phyllis.

So they did. And when they got near enough to see who the person was, they saw it was their old gentleman himself, his brass buttons winking in the afternoon sunshine, and his white waistcoat looking whiter than ever against the green of the field.

"Hullo!"? shouted the children, waving their hands.

"Hullo!" shouted the old gentleman, waving his hat.

Then the three started to run—and when they got to him they hardly had breath left to say:—

"How do you do?"

"Good news," said he. "I've found your Russian friend's wife and child—and I couldn't resist the temptation of giving myself the pleasure of telling him."

But as he looked at Bobbie's face he felt that he could resist that temptation.

"Here," he said to her, "you run on and tell him. The other two will show me the way."

Bobbie ran. But when she had breathlessly panted out her news to the Russian and Mother sitting in the quiet garden—when Mother's face