"He won't be in till late," I said. "But Sarah will be frightened—and oh! I'm so afraid Mrs. Partridge will be coming back. Oh! hadn't we better go now if you'll tell us the way. It's in this street, isn't it?"
"No, dear," said the young lady—and I was so glad she called me "dear." I had been afraid she wouldn't like me any more when she knew what I had been thinking of doing. "No, dear," she said, "you've got into another street altogether—that's why you were so puzzled. This street is very like the one you live in and they run parallel, if you know what that means."
"I wish it was this street," I said.
"And so do I," said Tom.
"Why?" asked Miss Goldy-hair.
"Because we'd like to be near you," we both said, pressing close to her. "You're like mother."
The tears came into Miss Goldy-hair's eyes—they really did—but she smiled too.
"And what do you say, my little man?" she said to Racey.
Racey was still reposing most comfortably in his big chair.
"I'll stay here," he said, "if Audrey and Tom can stay too. And I'd like 'tawberry jam for tea."