Through the high stalks gleamed now and then the lowly
corn flower, and he watched for the next blue star that would shine out
as they cut the golden cloud away. But the sun rose till the stook
could shelter him no more. First came a flickering of the shadows of
the longest heads athwart his face, and then the sun shone full upon
him. His mother and Kate had left him for a while, and, too weak or too
lazy to move, he lay with closed eyes, wishing that some one would come
to his help. Nor had he to wait long. A sudden shadow came over him.
When he looked up to find the source of the grateful relief, he could
see nothing but an apron held up in two little hands behind the
stook--hiding both the sun and the face of the helper.
"Who's there?" he asked.
"It's me--Annie Anderson," came from behind the un-moving apron.
Now why would not Alec accept this attention from Annie?
"Dinna stan' there, Annie," he said. "I dinna want it. My mother will
be here in a minute. I see her comin'."
Annie dropped her arms, and turned away in silence. If Alec could have
seen her face, he would have been sorry that he had refused her
service. She vanished in a moment, so that Mrs Forbes and Kate never
saw her.
Pages:
479
480
481
482
483
484
485
486
487
488
489
490
491
492
493
494
495
496
497
498
499
500
501
502
503