“He loves me—that’s why,” announced Dolly. “All the rest care for is something to eat.”
The child’s eyes followed the birds as they swam out from shore. Then she gave a little scream.
“Oh, he’s drowning! he’s drowning!” she cried, as a big duck appeared to be standing on his head in the water.
“Watch!” was all Sardis said.
“Oh, my! he’s eating!” gasped Dolly. “He’s catching bugs! How funny!”
They were all at it, excepting the lame duck that had squatted at the child’s feet for a nap, and Sardis carried his sister nearer the shore where she watched the birds delightedly, stopping now and then to give her pet a tiny pat, for he had promptly followed her.
Sardis had a moment’s talk with Polly and then disappeared. He was away so long that Dolly made inquiries. Nobody seemed to know anything of him, unless it were Polly, and her answers to the child’s questions were unsatisfactory. Then, suddenly, she was gone, too.
“Sardis came over the knoll and beckoned to Miss Dudley,” explained Lilith, “and they went off together towards the street. That’s all I know about it.”
“I don’t care, if he’s with Miss Dudley,” returned Dolly. “I was afraid he was lost.”
Which made Dr. Abbe laugh so heartily that the little girl wondered what he had seen that was funny.