Clematis   By: Bertha B. (Bertha Browning) Cobb (1867-1951)

ARLO CLEMATIS ANITA PATHWAYS ALLSPICE DAN'S BOY PENNIE ANDRÉ ONE FOOT ON THE GROUND ROBIN

[Illustration: "Are you going to sit here all day, little girl?"]

CLEMATIS

By BERTHA B. AND ERNEST COBB

Authors of Arlo, Busy Builder's Book, Hand in Hand With Father Time, etc.

With illustrations by A. G. Cram and Willis Levis

G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS New York and London

Copyright, 1917

By BERTHA B. and ERNEST COBB

Entered at Stationers' Hall, London for Foreign Countries

Twenty second Impression

All rights reserved. This book, or parts thereof, must not be reproduced in any form without permission.

Made in the United States of America

Somerset, Mass.

Dear Priscilla:

You have taken such a fancy to little Clematis that we hope other children may like her, too. We may not be able to buy you all the ponies, and goats, and dogs, and cats that you would like, but we will dedicate the book to you, and then you can play with all the animals Clematis has, any time you wish.

With much love, from Bertha B. and Ernest Cobb.

To Miss Priscilla Cobb.

CONTENTS

Chapter Page 1. Lost in a Big City 1 2. The Children's Home 16 3. The First Night 28 4. Who is Clematis? 41 5. Clematis Begins to Learn 52 6. Clematis Has a Hard Row to Hoe 61 7. What Clematis Found 72 8. A Visitor 86 9. The Secret 97 10. Two Doctors 109 11. A Long, Anxious Night 121 12. Getting Well 134 13. Off for Tilton 145 14. The Country 160 15. Clematis Tries to Help 172 16. Only a Few Days More 186 17. Where is Clematis? 200 18. Hunting for Clematis 215 19. New Plans 230 20. The True Fairy Story 237

ILLUSTRATIONS

1. "Are you going to sit here all day, little girl?" 2. "I don't want to stay here if you're going to throw my cat away." 3. With Katie in the kitchen. 4. Thinking of the land of flowers. 5. Clematis held out her hand. 6. Clematis is better. 7. Off for Tilton. 8. In the country at last. 9. The little red hen. 10. Clematis watched the little fishes by the shore. 11. "I shan't be afraid." 12. A little girl was coming up the path. 13. Deborah was very hungry. 14. "Didn't you ever peel potatoes?" 15. "What are you sewing?" 16. Clematis stuck one hand out. 17. She could see the little fish. 18. In Grandfather's house.

CLEMATIS

CHAPTER I

LOST IN THE BIG CITY

It was early Spring. A warm sun shone down upon the city street. On the edge of the narrow brick sidewalk a little girl was sitting.

Her gingham dress was old and shabby. The short, brown coat had lost all its buttons, and a rusty pin held it together.

A faded blue cap partly covered her brown hair, which hung in short, loose curls around her face.

She had been sitting there almost an hour when a policeman came along.