CHAPTER I
SALLY’S GARDEN PARTY
Once upon a time, and not so long ago, there lived a little girl named Sally Waters.
She was a merry, laughing little girl, with a lively twinkle in her bright blue eyes, a neat pair of dimples—one in each red cheek—and the sauciest little nose that has ever been seen.
Indeed, sometimes her father called her ‘Saucy Sally.’ But that was only his way of saying that he loved her better than any one else in the world, except, of course, Sally’s mother.
One bright summer morning Sally sat out on her doorstep in the sun. At her feet, half asleep, lay Buff, Sally’s plump, yellow pussy-cat. Beside her sat Tippy, her little brown dog, his ears cocked, his nose in the air.
But this morning Sally was not smiling. She looked so sober that Tippy watched her carefully with his shining brown eyes. She looked so very sober that Tippy was almost afraid that Sally was going to cry.
What ailed little Sally Waters, who was usually so merry and full of fun?
The truth is, Sally felt lonely. Not five minutes ago she had waved good-bye to Father and Mother as they started off for a day in the city. And as Sally remembered what a long, long day this was sure to be before she saw Father and Mother again, it really did seem as if Sally were going to cry.
She quite forgot that she was to spend the day with Aunt Bee just next door. She quite forgot that Father had promised to bring her a present from the city. She quite forgot that she had whispered to Mother, with her very last hug, that she would be as good as gold all day long.
All Sally remembered was that Father and Mother had left her. And a big round tear had squeezed itself from the corner of each eye and was actually rolling down her cheek when Tippy sprang up in the air with such a sudden, such a comical sneeze that Sally laughed out loud. Buff opened his sleepy eyes with a look of surprise that made Sally laugh again, while Tippy, seeing Sally’s smiling face, jumped up and down on the doorstep, barking merrily the while.