That afternoon Lilith came upon Polly in the kitchen with Benedicta, learning to make the small cocoanut cakes which were Dr. Abbe’s especial delight. Then Lilith thought more thoughts, and without any sensible reason went sadly the rest of the day.
The children had been begging for a picnic, so Lilith and the White Nurse took them down the mountain to a place which Dolly Merrifield had named the “Garden of Eden.” It was a pretty spot, set with pines and birches, and fringed with bushes of various kinds, many of them now hung with berries. Pine-needles formed a thick, slippery carpet, and the sun filtered through the trees in an enchanting way.
A few hours later Dr. Abbe started for the picnic ground with two heavy baskets, Polly and Benedicta following with some frosted cakes, that the housekeeper would entrust to nobody else.
“Who is that girl talking with Lilith?” questioned Polly, halting at a point where one first caught a view of the delectable “garden.”
Benedicta came up and narrowed her eyes to focus them on the stranger.
“Huh!” she ejaculated, “what’s that kid doin’ round here! Say, I must—” Her voice trailed off inaudibly as, setting down her basket, she turned and hurried back on the road she had come.
“Why—!” began Polly; but the housekeeper was beyond a conversational tone, and Polly after a moment’s wait went on down the road.
Arrived at her destination she crossed over to Lilith and the child whom she had seen.
The little girl was speaking, but paused with a touch of shyness when Polly came up.
“Miss Dudley will give you more information than I can,” said Lilith. Then, turning to Polly, “This little girl has been telling me about her sister who has never walked.”