Page 128 - Adventures in shadow-land

the child went up to her, and asked her if she
would tell her where Aster was. But the old

woman would not even look at her; she only
shook "her head and mumbled something which

sounded like u Ask my sister,” and then she
seemed, as Eva stood by her, to fall apart and

melt away, and then there was nothing left of
her except a little vapor, and the child saw that

the fire was only a little heap of the same green
leaves which she had seen among the trees.

And Eva went on, eager to leave a place where
such strange things as this happened. Then the

river seemed to disappear, and only a number of
little pools of water were left. Picking her way

carefully among them, in one she saw a poor,
half-drowned mouse struggling, unable to get

out; and when Eva saw it she took the little ani­
mal in her hand and laid it on dry land. It

never even looked at her, but crept shyly away, as
if it was afraid of her, and'hiding itself under a
leaf, Eva saw it no more.

Weary and tired, the child went slowly on­

ward. At last the pools of water were all gone,
and the river flowed on as before, but its waters