SWALLOW BROW 193 



"My love," breathed the swallow, perch- 

 ing on her shoulder, " I have a gift 

 for you, which I give gladly. It is all 

 I have, and soon the meadow grasses will 

 fall, and the roses on the hedges, and then 

 we will be told by the wind that we must 

 go again over the great sea into which so 

 many of us fall. I shall have to die soon, 

 so it does not matter," he added to himself, 

 but Jo did not hear, for she was wonder- 

 ing what the gift would be. 



" Good-bye, dear," whispered the swallow 

 presently, " and do not forget us when you 

 grow up. So many do." 



" No, swallow, no, but come back soon, 

 and give my little boy a kiss for me, because 

 he hasn't any mummy." 



The swallow rose high in the air, and in 

 gay flight sped over the cornfield; a swift 

 brown bird dashed after him; a few light 

 feathers danced in the air; a tiny poppy 

 suddenly bloomed on a bended flag of 

 wheat. 



