236 The Lady of Snow.

“You have been very kind to me, dear little
girl. Good-bye, good-bye, good-bye.”

Eleanor running back, gave her one more kiss,
and turning at the door, saw the Snow-Lady’s face,
now so sad, still looking at her.

‘‘No wonder she feels badly to be left alone
through the long night,” thought Eleanor, “but I
will go to her the very first thing to-morrow.”
With this thought she fell asleep. And as she
slept, a gentle “ pat—pat—pattering”’ was heard out-
side, which continued all through the night, and
in the morning when Eleanor looked from her
little window, there was the bare brown earth
again,—the beautiful snow was gone.

‘“My Lady, my dear Snow-Lady,” she cried,
and dressing quickly she hurried out to her. But
alas, when she reached the spot there lay in a sad
little heap only the old red shawl, and on it the
green trimmed straw bonnet. And Eleanor felt as
if the whole beautiful, white world of yesterday
and the lovely Lady of Snow, who had looked so
sadly at her, had been but a dream.