“It’s just like a fairy tale!” said Hinpoha, when it was established beyond a doubt that the abused street waif Gladys had brought home in the goodness of her heart was her own cousin.
“Didn’t I tell you you’d find your fairy godmother if you only waited long enough?” said Sahwah. And Ophelia, from the depths of her mother’s arms, nodded rapturously.
CHAPTER XIII.—A GAME OF HIDE-AND-SEEK.
“Oh, Gladys, do you have to go home, now that your mother and father are back?” asked Migwan, anxiously.
“Not unless you want to, Gladys,” said Mrs. Evans. “If you would rather stay out here until school opens, you may. Father and I are going to Boston in a few days, you know.”
So there was no breaking up of the group before they all went home, with the exception of Ophelia, or rather Beatrice, as we will have to call her from now on, for, of course, she was to go with her mother.
“What must it be like, anyway,” said Hinpoha, “not to have any last name until you’re nine years old and then be introduced to yourself? To answer to the name of Ophelia one and ‘Miss Beatrice Palmer’ the next? It must be rather confusing.”
Little Beatrice went to Boston with her mother and father and uncle and aunt and Onoway House missed her rather sorely. Calvin Smalley also got a measure of happiness out of the restoration of the lost child, for Uncle Lynn was so beside himself with joy over the event that he was ready to bestow favors on anyone connected with Onoway House, and promised to see that Calvin got through school and college. He would give him a place to work in his office Saturdays and vacations.
For several days now there had been no sign of the mysterious visitor, and the well digger’s ghost had also apparently been laid to rest. Then one morning they woke to the realization that the unseen agency had been at work again. Pinned on the front door was a piece of paper on which was scrawled,
“If you folks know what’s good for you you’ll get out of that house.”