“Dear little children,” sighed Margaret, “I hope it hasn’t made them unhappy.  Let’s send a telegram that we’re coming.”

“No,” said John; “let’s surprise them.”

And they got upon the train and for five days they rode and during all that time they played with Kernel Cob and Sweetclover, just as children would.  And a happy smile lit up Margaret’s face, for when she was dressed in woman’s clothes and had on a hat with pretty flowers on it, she looked very beautiful, and as she was very happy and always smiling, it made her look more beautiful, for everybody looks more beautiful when they smile.

“I wonder where we are going?” said Kernel Cob.

“You will see,” said Sweetclover.

“I know I will see,” said Kernel Cob.  “Only I am going to escape from here the first thing I can.”

“Don’t you dare,” said Sweetclover.

“Why not,” said Kernel Cob, “don’t you want to find Jackie and Peggs’ motheranfather?”

“Not any more,” said Sweetclover with a smile.

“Girl dolls, especially flowers, are the silliest things in the world,” said Kernel Cob.  “And if you don’t want to come I will have to go alone, for I have sworn to find them and no power on earth will stop me.”

At this Sweetclover was very much alarmed.

“Kernel Cob,” said she, “if you don’t get down on your knees and promise by all the Fairies that you will not attempt to escape, I’ll never speak to you again.”

“But,” said he.

“Never mind,” said Sweetclover “do as I tell you this minute.”

“Very well,” said Kernel Cob, and he got upon his knees and promised.  But he felt very sad about it for he said:  “Now, we shall never find them.”

“Yes, we shall,” said Sweetclover and she laughed so loudly that Kernel Cob was afraid that she would have hysterics.

And finally the train came to a stop and the conductor came through calling, “New York, Grand Central Depot,” and Margaret picked up Sweetclover and John picked up Kernel Cob, and they got into another train and rode a little way and got out again at another station called Orange.  And they got into a wagon and told the driver to drive like lightning, and in a few minutes they came to a little white house with honeysuckle growing all about, and they jumped out of the wagon and were in such a hurry that they forgot to pay the driver.  And they rushed up the path and opened a little white gate in a little white fence, and up another little path till they came to the little white house.

“They’re going crazy,” said Kernel Cob, under John’s arm.

“You will see why in a minute,” said Sweetclover who was tucked under Margaret’s arm.

[Illustration]

And John pushed open the door and rushed into the house followed by Margaret, and, finding no one inside, they ran through and out into the garden, which was a very pretty little garden with beautiful flowers growing in it.