The drawer was filled tight full of strawberries packed in neat boxes—and on top lay thirteen cookies!
Grandmother looked on these with astonishment.
"Wild strawberries!" said she tasting one. "And at this time of the year, too. They are delicious."
Grandfather and Fergus looked astonished, and Fergus scratched his head.
"Well," said Grandfather, "let's look at the highboy in Hortense's room. There's no telling what we'll find there."
They went to Hortense's room and again Fergus pulled open the drawers without difficulty. Boxes and boxes of raspberries lay on top of Hortense's things—and again there were thirteen cookies!
Grandfather and Grandmother raised their hands in amazement. They found no words to express their wonder. Later, when Mary came to Grandmother and reported that the sofa in the parlor had disappeared, Grandmother simply said, "The firedogs are gone from the hearth, too. There are queer doings in this house."
Hortense spent the afternoon in the library with Grandfather, her chin on her hand, thinking. From time to time she glanced at the image of Buddha. She thought she might tell Grandfather about all the strange things that had happened to her, but before doing so she resolved to try a plan which his words had put into her head.
Now and then Grandfather looked at her curiously, but he asked no questions, and Hortense could not guess his thoughts.
