Page 44 (1/2)

The girl tried to scoot away but was blocked by a wall of people

"I would buy you and set you free," Olive went on, "but I fear we’ve spent all our h even for irl spun to face Olive "I’ her foot

"Are you certain?"

"Yes!" the girl shouted, and in a fit of frustration she ripped the tag off her blouse and threw it away "I just don’t want to go and live in the stupid country, that’s all"

"I didn’t want to leave ot sirl’s face softened "Mine did, too" She put down her suitcase and held out her hand "Sorry I got cross My name is Jessica"

"I’m Olive"

The two little girls shook hands like gentlemen

"I like your blouse," Olive said

"Thanks," said Jessica "And I like your--the--the whatsit on your head"

"My tiara!" Olive reached up to touch it "It isn’t real silver, though"

"That’s okay It’s pretty"

Olive smiled as wide as I’d ever seen her s voice crackled over a loudspeaker "All children onto the trains!" it said "Nice and orderly now!"

The crowd began to flow around us again Here and there, adults herded the children along, and I heard one say, "Don’t worry, you’ll see your ain soon!"

That’s when I realized why there were soevacuated Of all the ,The rest were leaving, being shuttled out of the city for their own safety--and from the look of the winter coats and overstuffed cases soo," Jessica said, and Olive had hardly begun to say goodbye when her new friend was borne away by the croard a waiting train Just that quickly, Olive made and lost the only normal friend she’d ever had

Jessica looked back as she was boarding Her grim expression seeo and wondered the same about ourselves

Inside the phone box, E," she said "All the nu her another ripped-out page

"Cross your fingers"

I was focused on Emma as she dialed, but then a commotion broke out behindan u about for?" he said