“YOU CAN GET ON HIS BACK”
“Range will bring your pa back in no time, don’t you worry,” said Mrs. Pierce, giving Rose a kindly pat on the shoulder; then exclaiming, “The bread!” she ran back to the house, leaving Rose looking down the road, and wondering, a little fearfully, if Anne would reach the big beech tree without being thrown into the road.
Then she looked the other way, in the direction of Boston, and wondered what would befall Lady.
“Come in, my dear, out of this hot sun,” Mrs. Pierce called from the doorway, and Rose went slowly up the path and entered the big square room at the right of the small square entry.
“You sit right down and I’ll bring you a drink,” and Mrs. Pierce drew forward a comfortable rocking-chair for her young guest, and was soon back with a cup of milk and a square of fresh gingerbread.
“I should admire to have a girl just like you,” declared Mrs. Pierce, taking the empty cup. “I can see that you’ve a real good disposition, and a girl would be a sight of company to me.”
Then Rose told her about her own mother, and had begun to tell her Anne Nelson’s little history, when Mrs. Pierce again exclaimed: “My bread!” and hurried off to the kitchen.
Rose went to the open window and looked out, wondering how long it would be before her father would reach the farmhouse, and it seemed a long time to wait in spite of the friendly kindness of Mrs. Pierce.