The cherry trees seemed full as ever after they had gathered all Marian wanted, and in the evening 68Mrs. Morton sent Chicken Little out to gather more for her. Marian offered to help her, and they were once more aloft in the trees when Mr. Benton returned from town.
Marian began to chuckle.
“He’ll think we have been here all day, Jane. Let’s pretend we have.”
“Dear me, Mr. Benton, back so soon. How fast the day has gone by. Jane, you must be awfully hungry, I hadn’t realized it was so late!”
“Well now, time does beat everything for speed, but I ’lowed it was only our ancestors as lived in trees all the time, Mrs. Morton. But then I’ve heard they’re gettin’ a lot of new-fangled ways down east. You’re not calculatin’ to take up your residence permanent like in them cherry trees, are you? In case you don’t want the cottage any more, we might move it over to our place just by way of being neighborly.”
“Thank you, Mr. Benton, I’ll remember your kind offer if it ever gets in our way.”
It was not many days before the mail brought a grateful letter from Mrs. Halford, and ecstatic ones from the girls, in reply to Mrs. Morton’s invitation. They would arrive with Alice and Dick and Sherm–for Sherm was coming, too–on the twentieth.
“Not quite two weeks. That means we must begin 69getting ready at once, and you mustn’t think because we have a servant coming, that you won’t need to help, Jane. One girl can’t do all the work for so many.”
Chicken Little had not yet said she was sorry and her Mother was inclined to be severe with her in consequence. Mrs. Morton was rather worried, too, because she had seemed pale and listless for two or three days past. But when she asked if she were not feeling well, Chicken Little had replied carelessly:
“Why, I’m all right, Mother.”