She went close to the tree and looked up, and while she was looking, out popped Eb’s black head from the centre of the wreath of snow. At sight of Jessie he began to scold and repeat his “Hallo” a great many times. “I do believe there is a hole there,” said Jessie. “I never knew that before, but then I am not tall enough to see over the top of your head, Polly. That is why you have a wreath instead of a hood. I wish I could see in.” She looked at Eb who was strutting uneasily about, and an idea came to her. “I do believe, Ebony Loomis,” she exclaimed, “that is where you hide things!”
Full of this discovery, she ran up to the barn where she saw Sam. “I wish you would bring a ladder, Sam,” she said. “I want to see if there is a hole in that little tree. I believe it is where Eb hides his treasures.”
“You don’t say so,” said Sam. “What makes you think that?”
“I saw his tracks on the way down. First he would walk a little and then he would fly, for there were spaces between the tracks. When I got down there I saw him sitting on the tree, and I believe he had something in his beak, though I couldn’t see exactly. All of a sudden he wasn’t there, but in a minute I saw his head pop up from the top of the tree.” Not for the world would she have divulged to Sam that Playmate Polly was really a person. He would never understand how such a thing could be.
“I shouldn’t wonder if you was right,” said Sam. “I can’t go down just this minute, but after a while I will go and look.”
“I wish you could go now,” said Jessie, “for I have got to go to school.”
“Wish I could,” Sam answered, “but I will go before you get back. I reckon if there is anything there it will stay. He ain’t likely to move it.” Jessie was obliged to be satisfied with this, and knowing it was high time she was off to her lessons, she went up to the house for her books, stopping to tell her mother of what she suspected Eb. But there was not much time to discuss it then, for it was getting late and she must hurry away.
She found Adele in a high state of excitement over the arrival of the big dog her father had promised her. He was a beautiful collie, and already had attached himself to his little mistress. It is safe to say that lessons did not receive the attention they should that morning. Moreover even Eb’s tricks were lost sight of in the presence of the new pet. So Adele was not told of what Jessie had seen that morning.
Indeed it was not till after dinner that Jessie remembered that Sam was going to investigate the top of Playmate Polly’s snow-wreathed head; and she hunted him up to find out what he had discovered. He was not at the barn where she first looked for him, but as she turned from there she heard a chop-chopping from the direction of the brook. What was Sam doing? She hurried toward the spot, and saw him with axe uplifted. She uttered one cry of dismay and the next minute Polly toppled over and lay prostrate on the ground. She ran toward the fallen figure of her late companion. “Oh, poor Polly,” she whispered under her breath, her eyes full of tears.
When she reached the place where Playmate Polly had stood Sam was bending over a hollow stump. He looked up with a laugh. “You was right,” he said. “Here’s that little black thief’s treasure.” He put his hand into the stump and drew forth the three spoons, a brass thimble, some shining bits of glass, several bright buttons, and, last of all, Adele’s lost Peter Pan. “Well, I never!” exclaimed Sam.