“Mother!” she cried, half laughing and half crying. “I didn’t think you’d come for another week.”
“I had to come when my little girl was lost. Mrs. Tyler sent a telegram. Muffs, dear! Where were you?”
“Oh, Mother! The loveliest place, all light and flowers and pretty colors. You would have painted it. It was so beautiful!”
“But how did you happen to go there? And why didn’t you come home before?”
“She slept too long,” Tommy explained. “We went to sleep in a moving van,” and he told Mrs. Moffet all that had happened and how kind the headless man had been. He even told about the Guide and how he had saved him. Tommy had the Guide under his arm and that proved everything.
“We’d have been to Chicago by now,” he finished, “if he hadn’t found us and taken us to his house. He just let us sleep ’til we woke up. Then we had pancakes! Mmmm! And can the headless man cook!”
Muffs’ mother laughed but there was a worried look in her face as well. It might have happened so differently. She clasped her little girl very close and held her for a long time.
“I must dress,” Muffs said finally. “We’re going to a party.”
“We can’t, darling. The train——”
“But we must,” Muffs interrupted. “It’s a surprise party but the headless man told and he says it’s still going to be a surprise. He’s expecting us to be there and I wouldn’t miss it for anything.”