“Sam had to chop her down to get at the things. They were down so deep he couldn’t reach them.”
“Oh,” said Adele, “I am sorry, Jessie, I truly am, and I wish I had never said mean things about her. I shall never, never, never, be so horrid again.”
Playmate Polly was allowed to lie where she had fallen, and in time the green grass and flowering weeds grew up all around her and quite hid her from view. And the next year there was no thievish crow to hide away his spoils in hollow trees. For with the spring came visitors of his own kind, among them such a charming young lady crow as caused Eb to forsake his old friends, and he flew away with the flock to live a wild life. Once Jessie passing along through the orchard heard something above her head cry out: “Hallo!” and she believed the black wings which she saw among the branches must belong to her old pet, and the next winter a pair of crows came often, when the snow was on the ground, to feed with the chickens. Minerva never drove them away, for she believed it was Eb and his mate who had returned to his familiar haunts, counting upon receiving hospitality.
Thus Jessie lost two of her companions, but as time went on she and Adele became closer friends, who were happy with Rob, Cloudy and the dolls. Before it was time to open the grotto again, Adele had renamed her doll of the scarlet coat. “I shall call him Reddy,” she said to Jessie, who understood that on account of Playmate Polly and the old quarrel, Adele wanted to be generous.
So Peter Pan had it all his own way, though he often went to see Reddy in a fine cave that Jessie helped Adele make for him.
Early in June Miss Eloise left the yellow house to be married, and one day, a couple of weeks after, there was a great stir and bustle at “The Beeches.” Mrs. Loomis, Miss Betty, Dr. and Mrs. Sadtler were all on hand to welcome home the bride and groom. Jessie and Adele were on the watch for the carriage as it drove from the station. Adele was the first to spy it coming up the road. “There they are!” she cried.
“There they are,” echoed Jessie. “Let’s run and get the dears.”
The two stood on the porch as Mr. and Mrs. Davis alighted. Adele was the first to rush forward and thrust something into Mr. Davis’s arms. “This is for you,” she cried.
“And this is for you.” Jessie turned to Mrs. Davis and deposited in her arms a small black kitten.
Mr. Davis accepted the roly-poly puppy that Adele had given him and turning to his wife, he said, “You know all along, Eloise, I have declared we must have a dog.”