Their complete loss out of the little girl’s life had never become fixed in her mind. It had never seemed a surety—not even after her talks with the sailor, Benjamin Hardy.
Hardy had long since left the locality, having taken a berth again on one of the lake schooners. Nobody seemed to have much time to give to Carolyn May just at this time. Wherever she wandered about the neighbourhood people were talking about the coming wedding of Uncle Joe and Miss Amanda. Even Miss Minnie, at school, was quite in a flutter over it.
Friday afternoon the little girl went to the churchyard and made neat the three little graves and the one long one on the plot which belonged to Aunty Rose Kennedy. She almost burst into tears that evening, too, when she kissed Aunty Rose good-night at bedtime. Uncle Joe was down at the Parlows. He and Mr. Parlow actually smoked their pipes together in harmony on the cottage porch.
Aunty Rose was usually an early riser; but the first person up at The Corners on that Saturday morning was Carolyn May. She was dressed a full hour before the household was usually astir.
She came downstairs very softly, carrying the heavy bag she had brought with her the day she had first come to The Corners. She had her purse in her pocket, with all her money in it, and she had in the bag most of her necessary possessions. She wore a black dress, but not the one she had worn when she came from New York. That had been outgrown long since.
She washed her face and hands. Her hair was already combed and neatly braided. From the pantry she secured some bread and butter, and, with this in her hand, unlocked the porch door and went out. Prince got up, yawning, and shook himself. She sat on the steps to eat the bread and butter, dividing it with Prince.
“This is such a beautiful place, Princey,” she whispered to the mongrel. “We are going to miss it dreadfully, I s’pose. But, then— Well, we’ll have the park. Only, you can’t run so free there.”
Prince whined. Carolyn May got up and shook the crumbs from her lap. Then she unchained the dog and picked up her bag. Prince pranced about her, glad to get his morning run.
The little girl and the dog went out of the gate and started along the road towards Sunrise Cove. Nobody seemed to be astir. She looked back and waved her hand at the Stagg house. She looked at the church, the blacksmith shop, and the store. She bade them all good-bye.
Prince came to walk beside her and whined. He evidently could not understand her going away from the place so early.