Persis had come up as soon as Mr. Danforth had related how he had found Lisa and Ruth in the damaged attic, and a consultation with grandma and Mrs. Chamberlaine resulted in the consent of the former to sharing her bed with Persis that night in order that Lisa might keep Ruth with her.
“You see,” Lisa whispered to Mrs. Chamberlaine, “Ruth is so distressed about Patience, and thinks that Callie is gone too, so I am going to persuade her that Callie is in my bed.”
Mrs. Chamberlaine shook her head. “You should not encourage that fancy, Miss Holmes.”
“Oh, I don’t think it will do her any harm,” Lisa contended. “She will outgrow it when she is older and has school friends. Indeed, Mrs. Chamberlaine, I am sure she will not be the worse for her little imaginary friend.”
Therefore the make-believe Callie was supposed to be comfortably settled on one side of the bed, Ruth in the middle, and Patience tenderly established upon two chairs, covered with a fleecy shawl of Lisa’s, while Persis hunted up Amber, and he lay purring contentedly at Ruth’s feet. The little girl was therefore entirely at her ease concerning her companions, and went to sleep with Lisa’s assurance that she would not leave her.
Persis went down to report upon the proceedings and to say that Lisa would not be down again that evening. “She hasn’t the least idea that you all are here,” she said, turning to the new arrivals. “Won’t she be amazed to see you in the morning?—What will she think,” she said to herself, “to see the ‘off ass.’ I wonder if she really likes him. There were certainly tears in her eyes that time.” And Persis determined to keep a watch upon her sister.
“I am glad you are here, grandma,” she said, irrelevantly, as she snuggled up to her grandmother that night after they had gone to bed.
“I never supposed for a moment there was a doubt of it,” returned Mrs. Estabrook, giving her a hug. “Why do you think it necessary to assure me?”
“Oh, because you are so perspicuitous!”
“Is that in the dictionary?”