He made her a little bed in the room upstairs.
At evening, she could hear the wind whispering in the trees, and the little brook that ran down from the spring.
In the morning, she could see the lakes and mountains across the valley, as she sat by her open window, while the birds hopped about on the twigs, and sang their sweetest songs.
[Illustration: A little girl was coming up the path]
Deborah slept each night in a little box close by her bed, and followed her about all day long.
The week passed very quickly. On Friday, Mr. Brooks saw that she was silent and thoughtful.
"I don't think I can spare you yet," he said at breakfast. "I must ask Mrs. Snow to let you stay another week, at least."
Clematis was never so happy. She smiled and hummed a little song all the morning. Now and then she would stop to pat Deborah, who slept by the stove.
"He is going to let me stay another week, Debby!" she would whisper. "Another week, another whole week."
This week was passing also, when Clematis had a great surprise.
"Oh, read it to me, read it to me!" she exclaimed, as she climbed up into Mr. Brooks's lap.
Mr. Brooks has asked us if he might keep you for a year. Do you think you would like to stay?
I shall go to see you in Tilton next week, so you must be thinking it over, and decide if you really want to stay?
After he had finished, Clematis was silent for a moment. Then she looked up at him with a happy smile.
So he read it again, while she sat still in his lap.
"Do you think you would really like to stay?" he asked, when he had finished.
Clematis patted his hand, and snuggled her face against his shoulder.
"Of course she can. We couldn't get along without Debby."
That night Clematis looked out at the golden light, just fading from the mountains.
A star was twinkling in the sky. The brook was bubbling down among the trees, and the wind hummed a little tune in their soft branches.
"I am going to be happy always now," she said.
The next week they got Mr. Giles's horse, and drove down to meet Miss Rose at the station.
She sat in her lap all the way back to Bean Hill, and told her about the mountains, the lakes, the trees, and the birds.
"So you think you would like to stay a whole year, do you?" asked Miss Rose.