"
Mrs. Perry felt a prick of conscience, and her heart melted.
She could see that the child's feelings were hurt, and that her
self-respect made her anxious to pay for all they had received.
"If you wouldn't mind sleeping in the barn in the garden, you and
your dog, you're welcome. It's as clean as can be, and there's
plenty of nice straw there, to make a comfortable bed for you.
You'd be under shelter there, and if so be as your uncle should come
this way, he'd never find you there."
Instead of conferring a favour, she found herself almost asking the
child to stay, and to Huldah the temptation was too great to be
resisted. To be safe from her uncle! She felt she could bear
anything, if she could only for a few hours feel quite safe.
She was so tired, too, so dead-tired, she did not know, in spite of
her brave words, how she could possibly drag her weary body a step
further.
A few moments later the front-door had been securely bolted, and Mrs.
Perry, lantern in hand, was conducting her two strange visitors out
of the back door and down the garden.
"That's the fowls' house," she explained, flashing her lantern over
the door of the little building as they passed it, "and here is the
barn."
She opened the door, and threw the lantern light all over the wooden
shed.
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