hey swung out into the road
again, walking with swift, even steps. "Are you tired?" asked Achilles.
But she shook her head.

His hand in his pocket, in the darkness, had felt something and he
pressed it toward her--"Eat that," he said, "you will be hungry."

She took it daintily, and felt of it, and turned it over. "What is it?"
she asked. Then she set her small teeth in it--and laughed out. "It's
chocolate," she exclaimed happily. She held it up, "Will you have a
bite, Mr. Achilles?"

But Achilles had drawn out another bit of tin-foil and opened it. "I
have yet more," he said, "--two--three--six piece. I put here in my
pocket, every day--I carry chocolate--till I find you. Every day I say,
'she be hungry, maybe--then she like chocolate'--"

She nibbled it in happy little nibbles, as they walked. "I didn't eat
any supper," she said. "I was too happy--and too afraid, I guess. That
was a long time ago," she added, after a minute.

"A long time ago," said Achilles cheerfully. He had taken her hand
again, and they trudged on under the stars.

"Nobody must hurt Mrs. Seabury!" said the child suddenly.

"I tell you that," said Achilles--he had half stopped on the road.
"Nobody hurt that good lady--she, your friend."

"Yes, she is my friend. She was good to me.... _She_ had a little girl
once--like me--and some bad men hurt her.... I don't think they stole
her--" She pondered it a minute--"I don't seem to understand--" she gave
a little swift sigh. "But Mrs. Seabury is going to take her a long, long
way off--and keep her always."

Achilles nodded. "We help her do that," he said. "They don't hurt that
good lady."

His eyes were on the stars, and he lifted his face a little, breathing
in the freshness. A swift star shot across the sky, falling to earth,
and he pointed with eager finger. The child looked up and caught the
falling flash, and they ran a little, as if to follow the leaping of
their hearts. Then they went more slowly, and Achilles's long finger
traced the heavens for her--the Greek gods up there in their swinging
orbits... the warm, August night of the world. Betty Harris had never
known the stars like this. Safe from her window, she had seen them
twinkle out. But here they swept about her--and the plain reached
wide--and close, in the darkness, a hand held her safe and the long
finger of Achilles touched the stars and drew them down for her... Orion
there, marching with his mighty belt--and Mars red-gleam