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 III. BEYOND THE GATE. The wall was of rough gray stone with a wide coping; it was mossy in places, and many vines grew over it in rank, untrained luxuriance. Above it showed the tops of many trees; the branches of some projecting into the lane were heavy with apples and late September peaches, which ripened in as full security as though they grew upon the mountains of Thibet instead of in the suburbs of a large city. Opposite was a row of small houses swarming unromantically with young Afro-Americans, whom the tinkle of the gate-bell brought, as it seemed, by hundreds to their windows and doors; some even ventured to lean over the fence, but came no farther. Cyril looked around and smiled, then held up a coin, expecting an instantaneous rush; but, to his amazement, there was only a nutter among the dark little figures, and a stretching of the round, bright eyes which seemed already to absorb all of their faces. The young man then made a few steps from the gate and beckoned. " I say," he called, " I've a nickel for the boy or girl that gets here first." No reply, except a simultaneous flashing of white teeth along the line. They nudged each other and whispered, but remained motionless. " What are you afraid of ?" said Cyril. " I only want to ask a question. Come, here's a dime instead of a-nickel." This was effectual. A small maiden of perhaps eight summers, with a clear, chocolate-brown skin, big black eyes, hair plaited in tight little tails and tied with red ribbon, and a frock of three-inch plaid in red and blue, suddenly threw open her own particular gate and came boldly across the road, followed by a chorus of " Come back, Libby! Nastasia's comin'." " Whatcher reckon I keer 'bout Nastasia ?" said Libby boldly. " Nastasia can't do nothin' to me!...