Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER IV. MRS. RICHARDS. It was very late when the stately ship rolled slowly up to her pier, too late for the customs officers to visit her that night. But early the next morning the hurry and bustle began, and there was the usual rush to claim baggage and get away as soon as possible from the place where they had spent so many monotonous days. Star had no baggage to claim, and, not knowing what else to do, she sat still in the saloon and waited, watching the departing people with mingled feelings of curiosity and sadness. Mr. Rosevelt had told her not to be anxious about her own fate, for he should see that she was kindly cared for, and if her friends did not come for her, he would provide for her until they could advertise her arrival in the papers. It was unfortunate, he said, that she lost their address, since it would be liable to cause something of a delay in reaching her destination. So, while he went to arrange some little matter with the captain, she sat and watched the hurrying crowd. Archibald Sherbrooke came to seek here there, and found her alone. "I'm off!" he said, with animation. "I've got through with the customs, and have come to wish you good-by. Mr. Rosevelt says he is going to take care of you. I hope everything will come out right for you, Miss Star, and that you'll find a pleasant home with your friends. I'm very sorry that you've lost their address, for I'd call and see you before I go back to England if I knew where to find you. I trust, however, that we shall meet again, some time; and—will you please always consider me your friend?" He placed a card in her hand as he spoke, and she saw that his address was written upon it. "Thank you," she said, with a rising flush. "I shallnever forget you, for you have been very kind to me... --This text refers to the Paperback edition.