Gabriela's Mission - IV

     Well, she woke up next morning with the sun shining through the water, but something was terribly wrong.  Mother wasn't home - or was she?  Gabriela searched for her and found her lifeless body at the foot of the stairs.  She must have died! 
      When she told her father, he looked at Gabriela with his big eyes and said,
     "I'm so sad this happened.  How are you?"
     She told him she couldn't believe it had happened and was very sad.  They hugged each other and shed tears.
     Poor Gabriela!  He went away to the Yukon to pan for gold and left Gabriela stranded, all by herself.

TO BE CONTINUED