THE SUNBEAM CLAIMED.

It was a cold, cheerless morning; the wind was blowing, and the rain was beating against the windows.  It was far too wet and stormy for little Timpey to be out, so she and I had a game of ball together in the kitchen, whilst my father and grandfather went down to the pier.

She looked such a pretty little thing that morning.  She had on a little blue frock, which my grandfather had bought for her, and which Mrs. Millar had made before she left the island, and a clean white pinafore.  She was screaming with delight, as I threw the ball over her head and she ran to catch it, when the door opened, and my father ran in.

‘Alick, is she here?  They’ve come!’

‘Who’ve come, father?’ I said.

’Little Timpey’s father and mother; they are coming up the garden now with your grandfather!

He had hardly finished speaking before my grandfather came in with a lady and gentleman.  The lady ran forward as soon as she saw her child, put her arms round her, and held her tightly in her bosom, as if she could never part from her again.  Then she sat down with her little darling on her knee, stroking her tiny hands and talking to her, and looking, oh, so anxiously, to see if the child remembered her.

At first, Timpey looked a little shy, and hung down her head, and would not look in her mother’s face.  But this was only for a minute.  As soon as her mother spoke to her she evidently remembered her voice, and when Mrs. Villiers asked her, with tears in her eyes,—­

‘Do you know me, little Timpey?  My dear little Timpey, who am I?’ the child looked up, and smiled, as she said, ’Dear mother—­Timpey’s dear mother!’ and she put up her little fat hand to stroke her mother’s face.

And then, when I saw that, I could feel no longer sorry that the child was going away.

I can well remember what a happy morning that was.  Mr. and Mrs. Villiers were so kind to us, and so very grateful for all that my grandfather and I had done for their little girl.  They thought her looking so much better and stronger than when she left India, and they were so pleased to find that she had not forgotten all the little lessons she had learnt at home.  Mrs. Villiers seemed as if she could not take her eyes off the child; wherever little Timpey went, and whatever she was doing, her mother followed her, and I shall never forget how happy and how glad both the father and the mother looked.

But the most pleasant day will come to an end; and in the evening a boat was to come from shore to take Mr. and Mrs. Villiers and their child away.

‘Dear me!’ said my grandfather, with a groan, as he took the little girl on his knee, ’I never felt so sorry to lose anybody, never; I’m sure I didn’t.  Why, I calls her my little sunbeam, sir!  You’ll excuse me saying so, but I don’t feel over and above kindly to you for taking her away from me; I don’t indeed, sir.’