“I’d love to do that.”
“Come along, then.” John settled himself into a crotch of the tree and watched her ascend. She came lightly and with perfect confidence. “That’s right,” he said. “You weren’t a bit scared, were you?”
“No, indeed.”
He put out his arm and drew her to a safe seat near him. “There now, help yourself,” he told her. “You can run a race with the robins if you like.”
Cassy laughed, and then for the first time in all her life she gathered fruit from its own tree. After awhile she saw that her mother had come down and that Jerry was looking for her. She gave a merry glance at John.
“Don’t tell him where we are; let him find us.”
“Cassy, Cassy,” called Jerry.
“Here I am,” came the answer.
Jerry looked mystified. He hunted the garden over, and finally spied the ladder leaning against the tree.
“Oho!” he cried peering up into the green; and just then a bunch of ripe cherries came pelting against his upturned face and a merry laugh sounded from above.