ANXIOUS AUDREY
By
MABEL QUILLER-COUCH.
AUTHOR OF "A WAIF AND A WELCOME", "TROUBLESOME URSULA,"
"ZACH AND DEBBY," "IN CORNWALL'S WONDERLAND," ETC.
ILLUSTRATED BY HELEN JACOBS.
Transcriber's note:Helen Jacobs was the sister of author W.W. Jacobs.
1915
This etext prepared from a version published in 1915.
LONDON: SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE
Northumberland Avenue, W.C.
BRIGHTON: 129, North Street.
CHAPTER LINKS
CHAPTER I.
"Lady-bird, lady-bird, fly away home,
The field-mouse has gone to her nest;
The daisies have shut up their sleepy red eyes,
And the birds and the bees are at rest."
Mr. Carlyle, standing outside the nursery door, stayed a moment until thesweet low voice had reached the end of the verse, then, turning the handlevery gently, entered the room on tiptoe.
Faith looked up with a smile, but with a warning finger held out, while ina lower and more crooning voice she began the next verse:
"Lady-bird, lady-bird, fly away home,
The glow-worm is lighting her lamp——"
"Oh, dear!" as two round blue eyes looked up at her, full of sleepywickedness, "She is as wide awake when I began! Baby, you are not a nicelittle girl and I shan't be able to go on loving you if you don't go tosleep soon."
The blue eyes, wandering from Faith's reproving face, fell on her father,and with a croon of delight a pair of plump dimpled arms was held outpleadingly. "Dad! Dad!" cooed the baby voice coaxingly, and the arms werenot held out in vain.
Faith handed over her heavy, l