At the Back of the North Wind | Page 7

home and I will take care of you."
So the little girl put her free hand in his and began to lead him. They
went around turning after turning, till they stopped at a cellar-door in a
very dirty lane. There the little girl knocked.
"What an awful place!" said Diamond. "I should not like to live here."
"Oh yes, you would, if you had no where else to go!" answered the girl.
"I only hope they'll let me in."
"Don't they always let you in?" said Diamond.
"No, they don't. And then I have to stay in the street all night and scud
back to my crossing the first thing in the morning. You see they don't
answer, now!"

"Well," said Diamond, "I don't want to get in. I want to go back to my
mother. Come with me and I will take you to my own home."
The little girl thought this would be much better than sitting in the
streets all night. So they started off. The trouble was that Diamond was
not at all sure that he could find the way without North Wind. But the
only thing to do was to try. So they wandered on and on, turning in this
direction and that, without any reason for one way more than another.
At last, they got out of the thick of the houses into a kind of waste place.
By this time, they were both very tired, and Diamond was inclined to
cry. For he said to himself that he had not done the little girl any good
and he had lost his own way home. But in this, he was wrong for she
was far happier in having him with her, and making people happier is
one of the best ways of doing them good.
[Illustration: IT WAS THE BACK DOOR OF A GARDEN]
They sat down and rested themselves a little and then went on. After a
time, they found themselves on a rising ground that sloped rather
steeply on the other side. The moment they reached the top, a gust of
wind seized them and blew them down hill as fast as they could run.
Nor could Diamond stop before he went bang! against one of the doors
in a wall. To his dismay, it burst open. When they came to themselves,
they peeped in. It was the back door of a garden.
"Oh! oh!" cried Diamond after staring for a few moments. "I know this
place--know it well! It is Mr. Coleman's garden and here I am at home
again. Oh, I am so glad! Come in, little girl! Come in with me and my
mother will give you some breakfast."
"No, no! I can't!" said the little girl. "We have been so long coming.
Look up! Don't you see that it is morning now? I must hurry back to
my crossing and sweep it and get money to take home or they will beat
me! I cannot stay. Good-bye, little boy, good-bye!"
She started back at once, ran up the hill and disappeared behind it.
Diamond called after her and called, but she did not even turn round.
He was sorry to see her go but there was no help for it. So when she

was gone quite out of sight, he shut the door of the garden as best he
could, and ran through the kitchen garden to the stables. And wasn't he
glad to get into his own blessed bed again!
CHAPTER III
NORTH WIND SINKS A SHIP
It was some time before he saw North Wind again. He saw the little girl
before that but it was only for a moment. It happened in this way. His
father was taking the horse, Diamond, to have new shoes put on him,
and knowing that little Diamond, like all small boys, liked a ride, he set
him on the horse and taking the bridle led the two Diamonds away.
The blacksmith's shop was some distance away, deeper in London. As
they crossed the angle of a square, Diamond, who was looking about to
see if any one noticed him riding upon the big horse like a man, saw a
little girl sweeping a crossing before a lady and holding out her hand
for a penny. The lady had no penny and the little girl was disappointed.
Diamond could not stand that. He knew the little girl and he knew that
he had a penny in his pocket. He slid off the horse in a sort of tumble
and ran to her, holding out the penny. She did not know him at first, but
when he smiled at her, she did. He stuffed the penny into her hand and
ran back, for he knew his father would not care to wait.