brave little daughter again, I know," said her
father, comfortingly, "for it is time for us to start now. I am afraid
the train would not wait for us if you were not at the station in time,
and it would never do to miss the train on your first journey, would
it?"

Ruby smiled through her tears.

"Don't you think they would wait when they saw the trunk on the
platform, papa? I should think they would know somebody was going away
then, and would wait."

"No, I don't think that even for anything as important as the trunk,
the train would wait," her father answered.

Ann helped Ruby put on her hat and jacket with unusual gentleness, and
Ruby thought that Ann looked very much as if she wanted to cry.

"Do you feel sorry, really, that I am going away, Ann?" she asked.

"Of course I do, honey," Ann answered.

All at once Ruby remembered how she had teased Ann, how many times she
had been rude to her, and had done what she knew Ann did not want her
to, and she put her arms around Ann's neck.

"Ann, I 'm sorry I have been so bad," she whispered. "I will be good
when I come home again."

Ann was very much touched by Ruby's apology.

"Never you think about that," she answered. "I'll miss you dreadfully,
and I shall never remember anything but the times you have been as good
as a little lamb; so you need n't worry your head about that."

"Time to start," called papa again; so Ruby climbed up in the front
seat, where she was to sit with her father, and Aunt Emma and Ruthy got
in behind her. The little trunk, with Ruby's initials upon it, had
already been taken down to the station, and was waiting for her there.
It was quite a little drive to the station, and they had not started
any too soon, for by the time papa had purchased the tickets, and had
given Ruby the little pocket-book, that he had saved for a parting
surprise, with a crisp ten-cent bill in it, some bright pennies, and in
an inside compartment what seemed to Ruby like untold wealth, a whole
dollar note, the distant whistle of the train was heard. And then
almost before Ruby knew it she had said good-by to Ruthy, who could not
keep her tears back when she said good-by to her little friend, and she
was sitting by the window, where she could look out at Ruthy, when the
train started, and her papa leaned over to give her a last kiss and hug.

"Good-by. God bless and keep my little daughter," he said tenderly.

The engine shrieked and whistled, the bell