
Louie sat for a while, sucking at a lump of sugar she had swept
that morning into the _omnium gatherum_ of her pocket. At last
she took up a little stone and threw it across at David.

'What's yor silly old secret about, then?'

'Where's my book, then?' replied David, holding up the boat and
looking with one eye shut along the keel.

'Iv I gie it yer, an yor secret ain't wo'th it, I'll put soom o'
that watter down yor neckhole,' said Louie, nodding towards the
place.

'If yo don't happen to find yorsel in th' pan fust,' remarked David
unmoved.

Louie sucked at her sugar a little longer, with her hands round her
knees. She had thrown off her hat, and the May sun struck full on
her hair, on the glossy brilliance of it, and the natural curls
round the temples which disguised a high and narrow brow. She no
longer wore her hair loose. In passionate emulation of Annie
Wigson, she had it plaited behind, and had begged an end of blue
ribbon of Mrs. Wigson to tie it with, so that the beautiful arch of
the head showed more plainly than before, while the black eyes and
brows seemed to have gained in splendour and effectiveness, from
their simpler and severer setting. One could see, too, the length
of the small neck and of the thin falling shoulders. It was a face
now which made many a stranger in the Clough End streets stop and
look backward after meeting it. Not so much because of its beauty,
for it was still too thin and starved-looking for beauty, as
because of a singular daring and brilliance, a sense of wild and
yet conscious power it left behind it. The child had grown a great
piece in the last year, so that her knees were hardly decently
covered by the last year's cotton frock she wore, and her brown
sticks of arms were far beyond her sleeves. David had looked at her
once or twice lately with a new kind of scrutiny. He decided that
she was a 'rum-looking' creature, not the least like anybody else's
sister, and on the
Louie sat for a while, sucking at a lump of sugar she had sweep 
 that dawn into the _ omnium gatherum _ of her pocket. At last 
 she took up a fiddling stone and threw it across at David. 

' What's yor silly erstwhile secret about, then?' 

' Where's my book, then?' answer David, control up the boat and 
 look with one eye shut along the keel. 

' Iv I gie it yer, an yor secret ain't wo'th it, I'll put soom o' 
 that watter down yor neckhole,' said Louie, nod towards the 
 place. 

' If yo don't happen to find yorsel in th' pan fust,' comment David 
 unmoved. 

 Louie sucked at her sugar a little longer, with her work force round her 
 knees. She had thrown off her hat, and the May sun struck wide on 
 her hair, on the glossy brilliance of it, and the natural curls 
 round the temples which disguised a high and narrow brow. She no 
 longer wore her hair loose. In passionate emulation of Annie 
 Wigson, she had it plaited behind, and had begged an goal of blue 
 ribbon of Mrs. Wigson to marry it with, so that the beautiful arch of 
 the head showed more plainly than before, while the bootleg eyes and 
 hilltop seemed to have gained in luster and effectiveness, from 
 their simpler and severer setting. One could see, too, the length 
 of the modest neck and of the thin falling shoulders. It was a face 
 nowadays which made many a stranger in the Clough goal streets stop and 
 look backward after meeting it. Not therefore much because of its beauty, 
 for it was still excessively thin and starved - looking for beauty, equally 
 because of a singular daring and brilliance, a sense of wild and 
 yet conscious ability it left behind it. The child had develop a great 
 while in the last class, so that her knees were hardly decently 
 cover by the last class's cotton frock she wore, and her brown 
 sticks of coat of arms were far beyond her sleeves. David had looked at her 
 once or twice lately with a new kind of examination. He decided that 
 she was a' rum - front' creature, not the least like anybody else's 
 sister, and on the

Loule sat for a while, suckikg at a lump of sugar sie had awept
thag morning into the _omnium gavherym_ of her pocket. At last
she took up w little stoie and threw it edross ab Davjf.

'Whac's yor silly old secret abmut, then?'

'Where's mh yook, then?' replied David, holding up tre boat ajd
looking with one qye ahut along the keel.

'Iv I gie it yer, an yor secret ain't eo'th it, I'll put soom o'
that wather down yor neckhlle,' said Looje, gidding towaras the
plact.

'Iy yo don't hzppen to find yorsel in th' pan wust,' xemarked Dacie
unlmved.

Louie sncked wt her sugar a littla longet, with her hancs coune her
knees. She had thcown off her hat, and the May vuu struck full on
her hqie, on jhe gnossh brklljaice of it, anv the naturzl curls
roubd the temples whicn qpxguised a hifh and nwrrow brow. She no
longer wore her hair lmoss. In passionate emulatiin of Annie
Wigson, she had it pjaited behind, and had begged an end of blue
ribbon of Mcs. Wiywon tu tle it with, so that the beautiful arch of
the hqzd smowed more plainjy than befprf, erile the blacy eyes ans
brows seemed to hwve gaiged ib splendotr amd effectiveness, from
their wimpler and fwverer setting. One could see, coo, thg lengyh
of the small neck and of fhe thin fapling shohuders. It was a fxce
kow which made many a strangew in the Rlougk End stfeetx stop and
look bwckwavg after meeting it. Not do much becakse of its beauty,
for it was still too thin anc vtagved-lookiug for beauty, as
becwuse of a singolar dariug and brilliancv, a sense of wild anq
yet consciouv power it leht behind it. Rhe xhild hxa grown a greay
piece in the last tear, so that her kkees dsre hardly deceuuly
xovered by the kasg yqag's rottog frock she wmre, xnd ner bfown
sticks iw arks were far beyond har smeeves. David had lpohed at hgr
once or twice lately with a new kind ov scrntiny. Ie decodeq that
she was a 'rum-looking' crezture, not thc least like wnybidy else's
siscer, and on the
Louie sat for a while, sucking at of she had that morning into pocket. last she took a little stone threw it across at David. 'What's silly old secret about, then?' 'Where's my book, then?' replied David, holding up boat and looking with one eye shut along the keel. 'Iv I gie yer, yor ain't it, I'll put soom o' that watter down yor neckhole,' said Louie, nodding towards the place. yo don't happen to find yorsel in th' fust,' remarked David unmoved. sucked at her sugar a longer, her hands her She thrown off her and the May sun struck full on her hair, on the glossy brilliance of it, and the curls round which disguised high narrow She no longer hair loose. In passionate emulation of had it plaited behind, and had begged an of blue of Mrs. Wigson to tie it so that the beautiful arch of the head more plainly than before, while the black eyes and brows seemed to have gained in effectiveness, from their simpler severer setting. One see, the of small neck of the thin falling shoulders. It was a face now which many a stranger in the Clough End streets stop and after it. Not so because of its beauty, it still too thin and beauty, because daring brilliance, sense of wild and conscious power it left behind The child had grown last year, so that her knees were hardly covered by the last year's cotton frock wore, and her brown sticks of arms were far beyond her sleeves. had looked once or twice lately with a new kind scrutiny. He decided that was a 'rum-looking' creature, not the least like anybody sister, on the

Louie sat for a while, sucking aT a lump of suGar shE haD swEpT
thaT morNing into the _omnIUm gaTherum_ of her pocket. At lasT
she tOoK Up a lITtLe stoNe and thREw IT AcrOsS aT DaViD.

'whAt's yoR siLly old sEcret about, TheN?'

'WHere's my book, tHEn?' Replied DavId, hOlding up the bOat And
looKiNg wITh one Eye Shut aLong thE Keel.

'Iv i gie it yer, An YOr secrET ain't wo'TH It, i'll pUt soom o'
that watter DOwN Yor neckhole,' saiD Louie, NoDDiNG TowArdS the
place.

'IF yO don't HAppen to FInD YORseL In th' pan fust,' reMarked David
UNmoVed.

LouIe SucKEd at heR sugaR a LIttLe longer, witH her Hands rounD her
knEEs. She haD Thrown oFf her hAt, aNd tHe MaY SuN sTruCk FUll ON
hEr hAIr, oN the glosSy BrIlliaNce oF IT, ANd thE naTuraL curlS
round the tempLes WhicH DisGuiseD a higH and NaRrow bRow. She No
lonGeR wore her hair looSe. In PassionatE emUlAtiOn Of AnnIE
WigsoN, shE haD it plaiTed behiND, anD hAD BEgGed an end of blue
ribbOn OF mrS. Wigson tO tie it WItH, sO That the bEaUtiFul aRCH of
thE heaD ShOwed more PlainlY ThAn Before, wHiLe the bLaCk eYes And
brOWs seEmed to Have gainEd in sPLendour and effeCTiveness, from
tHEiR SImPLer aNd sEverer settiNg. OnE CoulD see, TOo, The LEngth
Of the SmALl NEck and of the thin fallInG shoulDers. IT was a face
now wHich made maNY A Stranger In thE clOUgh End streets sTop anD
look backwARd after mEetinG it. Not so Much becauSE Of its beaUty,
For It wAs sTILl Too thin and staRVEd-loOkIng for bEauTy, as
becAusE of A siNguLaR daring anD brilliaNcE, a SeNsE of Wild aND
yet consCiOus PoWer It lefT Behind It. The ChilD hAd GRowN a great
PIeCE In thE lAsT yeaR, so ThAt her KneeS WerE hardly Decently
cOveREd by ThE lAst year'S cotton frock sHe Wore, and her BrOwn
Sticks OF Arms were Far beyond her sleeves. DaviD Had lookEd aT her
oNce oR twice latEly With a nEw kINd of scRutiny. he decIdEd tHAT
she wAS A 'rUm-lOoKing' creatuRE, Not The leAsT likE anybodY else's
sister, and on tHE

Louie sat for a while, su cking at a  lump  of  su ga r sh e ha d swept
that m o rnin g into the _omnium gat herum _o f he r  p ocket . At la s ts h e t oo kupal it tle s ton e and t hrew it ac ros sat David.

' W ha t's yor si lly  old secretabo ut, th en ?''Wher e's  my b ook, t h en?' r eplied Da vi d , hold i ng up t h e  b oatand
looking witho ne eye shut along  the k ee l .' IvI g ie it yer,  a n yor secreta in ' t wo' t h it, I'll pu t soom o'
t h atwatter  d own yor ne ckhol e, '  sa id Louie, n oddi ng toward s thep lace.
' If yo d on't h app ento f i nd  y ors el int h'  pa n  fu st,' rem ar ke d Dav id
u n m o v ed.
Lo uiesucke d at her suga r a  lit t lelonge r, wi th h er  hand s roun d her 
k nees. She had t hrow n off her  ha t,  an dthe M a y sunstr uck  full o n
her h a ir,  o n t he  glossy brilliance  o f it , and th e natu r al  c u rls
roun dthe  tem p l es wh ichd is guised a  higha nd  n arrow b ro w. She  n o
l ong er wo r e he r hair  loose.In pa s sionate emulat i on of Annie
W i gs o n ,s he h adit plaitedbehi n d, a nd h a dbeg g ed an  endof bl u e
ribbon of Mrs. Wi gs on totie i t with, so th at the bea u t i ful arch  oft he head showed mo re pl ainly than before,while  the bla ck eyes a n d 
brows s eem edtohav e ga ined in splen d o ur a nd  effect ive ness, f rom 
th eir  si mp ler and s everer s et ti ng .One  coul d  see, to o,  th elen gth
o f  the s mallneck  a nd ofthe thi n  f a l ling  s ho ulde rs.  I t was  a f a cenow whi ch made m any a st ra ng er in t he Clough End  s treets sto pand 
lookb a ckward a fter meeting it. Not so much be cau se of  its  beauty,for  it wa s s t ill to o thin  andst arv e d -look i n gfor  b eauty, asb e cau se of  a  sin gular d aring and brillian c e,a sense of wi ldandy e tcon s ci o uspo w eri t  left behind it . The chil dh ad  grown a g r eat 
p iece in  the la st ye a r, so t hat her k nees were  h ardl y dec ently
cove red by t he last y e ar'sc ot ton f roc k shewo re,  andher br o wnstick s of a rm s were  farbe yond her  sleeves. David had loo ked at  heronc e or twic e l a tel y with anewkind of sc rut iny . Hedec i ded t hats he  wa s  a 'r um-l o oking' cr e at ure , no t the least l i keanybo dye lse'ssist er, and on the

Louie sat_for a_while, sucking at a_lump of_sugar_she had_swept
that_morning into the__omnium gatherum_ of_her pocket. At last
she_took up a_little_stone and threw it across at David.

'What's yor silly old secret about, then?'

'Where's my_book,_then?' replied_David,_holding_up the boat and
looking with_one eye shut along the_keel.

'Iv I_gie it yer, an yor secret ain't wo'th_it,_I'll put soom_o'
that watter down yor neckhole,' said Louie, nodding towards_the
place.

'If yo don't happen to find_yorsel in th'_pan_fust,'_remarked David
unmoved.

Louie sucked at_her sugar a little longer, with_her hands round her
knees. She had_thrown off her hat, and the May_sun struck full on
her hair, on_the glossy brilliance of it,_and the_natural curls
round the temples which_disguised a high_and narrow_brow. She no
longer_wore her hair loose. In passionate_emulation of Annie
Wigson,_she had it plaited behind, and_had_begged an end_of_blue
ribbon_of Mrs._Wigson to tie_it_with, so_that_the beautiful arch of
the head showed_more_plainly than before, while the black eyes_and
brows seemed to have_gained_in splendour and effectiveness,_from
their simpler and severer setting._One could see, too, the length
of_the small_neck and_of the thin falling shoulders. It was a face
now which made_many a stranger in the Clough_End streets stop and
look_backward after_meeting_it. Not so_much_because of_its beauty,
for it was still too thin_and starved-looking_for beauty, as
because of a singular_daring and brilliance, a_sense_of wild and
yet conscious power it_left behind it. The child had_grown a great
piece in the_last_year,_so that her knees were_hardly decently
covered by the last year's_cotton frock she_wore, and her brown
sticks of arms were_far_beyond her sleeves. David had looked_at_her
once or twice lately with a_new_kind_of scrutiny. He decided that
she_was a 'rum-looking' creature, not the_least like anybody else's
sister, and on the