She came downstairs very softly, carrying the heavy bag she had brought with her the day she had first come to The Corners. She had her purse in her pocket, with all her money in it, and she had in the bag most of her necessary possessions. She wore a black dress, but not the one she had worn when she came from New York. That had been outgrown long since. She washed her face and hands. Her hair was already combed and neatly braided. From the pantry she secured some bread and butter, and, with this in her hand, unlocked the porch door and went out. Prince got up, yawning, and shook himself. She sat on the steps to eat the bread and butter, dividing it with Prince. “This is such a beautiful place, Princey,” she whispered to the mongrel. “We are going to miss it dreadfully, I s’pose. But, then— Well, we’ll have the park. Only, you can’t run so free there.” Prince whined. Carolyn May got up and shook the crumbs from her lap. Then she unchained the dog and picked up her bag. Prince pranced about her, glad to get his morning run. The little girl and the dog went out of the gate and started along the road towards Sunrise Cove. Nobody seemed to be astir. She looked back and waved her hand at the Stagg house. She looked at the church, the blacksmith shop, and the store. She bade them all good-bye. Prince came to walk beside her and whined. He evidently could not understand her going away from the place so early. But Carolyn May knew what she was about. She knew all about the train that went south. It left Sunrise Cove station before most people were up, even at this time of year. The houses had all been asleep at The Corners. So was the Parlow cottage when she trudged by. She would have liked to see Miss Amanda, to kiss her just once. But she must not think of that! It brought such a “gulpy” feeling into her throat. Nobody saw Carolyn May and Prince until she reached Main Street. Then the sun had risen, and a few early persons were astir; but nobody appeared who knew the child or who cared anything about her. At the railroad station nobody spoke to her, for she bought no ticket. She was not exactly clear in her mind about tickets, anyway. She had found the conductor on the train coming up from New York a kind and pleasant man, and she decided to do all her business with him. Had she attempted to buy a ticket of the station agent, undoubtedly he would have made some inquiry. As it was, when the train came along, Carolyn May, after seeing Prince put into the baggage car, climbed aboard with the help of a brakeman. “Of course, if he howls _awfully_,” she told the baggageman, who gave her a check without question, “I shall have to go in that car and sit with him.” There were not many people in the car. They steamed away from Sunrise Cove, and Carolyn May dabbled her eyes with her handkerchief and told herself to be brave.