MILES' STORY—(continued).
LITTLE Miss Adela stayed nearly a month, and I never had any more trouble with her. She was as good as gold always; and she used to come into the museum, and stay there by the hour, and not touch a thing without leave. I grew almost to be as fond of her as Mr. Bertram himself was: and to see her face peeping round the door was like having a gleam of sunshine.
"Museum-boy," said she on the last day before she was to go away; and nothing could cure her of calling me that, or make her give me my proper name; "Museum-boy, what do you think we're going to do this afternoon, directly the minute after lunch?"
I said I couldn't guess. Was it something nice?
"'Course it is! I shouldn't tell you if it wasn't, you stupid boy!" said she, as sharp as a needle; and then she sighed. "Oh, dear me! Nurse says I oughtn't ever to call anybody stupid, and it is so hard. But you're nice all the same, you know."
"I'm glad you think so, Miss Adela," said I. "And what are you going to do after lunch?"
"Why, it isn't only me; it's you too, and it's such fun! Grandpapa is going to lend the cart to Mrs. Crane and Nurse, for us to drive to the town, and buy heaps of things. And Grandpapa asked who else I'd like to have go, and I said I wanted the museum-boy. And he laughed, and didn't mind. So you've got to go; and you must be quite neat, please, because Mrs. Crane is going to take us to tea with a cousin of hers."
"I don't know if Mrs. Crane will want to have me, Miss Adele," I said; and she gave me one of her astonished looks.
"Why,—I want you," she said. "And Grandpapa says you're to go. 'Course Mrs. Crane will like it."
I could not feel quite so sure as to that; but after all I only had to do as I was told. An hour later I had my orders from Mr. Laurence himself. "You are to go in to St. Ermes this afternoon with Miss Adela, starting at two o'clock;" and then he told me to buy a few things for him, and explained carefully what he wanted, putting five shillings into my hand. St. Ermes was a biggish town, several miles away; and the cart was a funny little concern, not so much used by Mr. Laurence himself, as he preferred the high dog-cart, but often lent to Mrs. Crane, if she had shopping to do in St. Ermes.