The secret garden

1Mrs.14 THE SECRET GARDEN" When her Ayah wassighed Mrs. Crawford.dead there was no one to give a thought to thelittle thing. Think of the servants running awayand leaving her all alone in that deserted bungalow.Colonel McGrew said he nearly jumped outof his skin when he opened the door and foundher standing by herself in the middle of the room.' 1Mary made the long voyage to England underthe care of an officer's wife, who was taking herchildren to leave them in a boarding-school. Shewas very much absorbed in her own little boy andgirl, and was rather glad to hand the child overto the woman Mr. Archibald Craven sent to meether, in London. The woman was his housekeeperat Misselthwaite Manor, and her name was Mrs.Medlock. She was a stout woman, with very redcheeks and sharp black eyes. She wore a verypurple dress, a black silk mantle with jet fringe onit and a black bonnet with purple velvet flowerswhich stuck upand trembled when she moved herhead. Mary did not like her at all, but as shevery seldom liked people there was nothing remarkablein that; besides which it was very evidentMedlock did not think much of her."My word ! she's a plain little piece of goods ! 'she said." And we'd heard that her mother wasa beauty. She hasn't handed much of it down ?has she, ma'am? '