Of course there was nothing to be done, and, discouraged, they madetheir way to the shore and sat down and thought and thought andthought.
"We'll have to go back to the mines and start all over again," saidJohn with a sigh. And they picked up Kernel Cob and Sweetclover, andwalked on.
And after a little while, John and Margaret sat down on a log and weresilent for a long time. John had Kernel Cob on his knee, and Margarethad Sweetclover in her lap, and neither of them spoke, but looked faroff without seeing anything except what had happened years and yearsago and left only a picture in their minds.
And Margaret sighed and turning to John said:
"John dear, don't let us try to find any more gold. What good will allthe gold in the world be to us without the children?"
And John raised his head, and you could see tears in his eyes.
"Little wife," he said, "you are right. Children are the greatestriches in the world. Let us go back to ours."
And Margaret just smiled and kissed him.
And they went down the mountain side with smiling faces, carryingKernel Cob and Sweetclover with them.
"I'm blest if I can understand any of this at all," said Kernel Cob.But Sweetclover only laughed.
"Men dolls, especially Soldiers, are the stupidest things in the wholeworld," she said.
CHAPTER XXIII
And John and Margaret went down the mountain and in due time reachedSan Francisco.
And Margaret said:
"I wonder if the children will remember us?"
"I don't think so," said John, "for I believe they think we are dead.We haven't heard from them since that time, a year ago, when there wasa report in the newspapers that we were lost in a snow storm."
"Dear little children," sighed Margaret, "I hope it hasn't made themunhappy. 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 allthat time they played with Kernel Cob and Sweetclover, just aschildren would. And a happy smile lit up Margaret's face, for when shewas dressed in woman's clothes and had on a hat with pretty flowers onit, she looked very beautiful, and as she was very happy and alwayssmiling, it made her look more beautiful, for everybody looks morebeautiful 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 fromhere 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 theworld," said Kernel Cob. "And if you don't want to come I will have togo alone, for I have sworn to find them and no power on earth willstop me."
At this Sweetclover was very much alarmed.
"Kernel Cob," said she, "if you don't get down on your knees andpromise by all the Fairies that you will not attempt to escape, I'llnever 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 findthem."
"Yes, we shall," said Sweetclover and she laughed so loudly thatKernel Cob was afraid that she would have hysterics.
And finally the train came to a stop and the conductor came throughcalling, "New York, Grand Central Depot," and Margaret picked upSweetclover and John picked up Kernel Cob, and they got into anothertrain and rode a little way and got out again at another stationcalled Orange. And they got into a wagon and told the driver to drivelike lightning, and in a few minutes they came to a little white housewith honeysuckle growing all about, and they jumped out of the wagonand were in such a hurry that they forgot to pay the driver. And theyrushed up the path and opened a little white gate in a little whitefence, and up another little path till they came to the little whitehouse.
"They're going crazy," said Kernel Cob, under John's arm.
"You will see why in a minute," said Sweetclover who was tucked underMargaret's arm.
And John pushed open the door and rushed into the house followed byMargaret, and, finding no one inside, they ran through and out intothe garden, which was a very pretty little garden with beautifulflowers growing in it.
And in the middle of the garden sat a little boy and a little girl andthey were making mud cakes.
And when John saw them he shouted with a great glad cry.
"JACKIE!"
"PEGGS!"
And Margaret sank down upon the garden path, for she was so happy thatshe couldn't move another inch.
And the two children stopped playing and turned to John and Margaretand a look of wild happiness came into their faces, and Jackie jumpedto his feet and ran to John and threw himself into his outstretchedarms and cried:
"FATHER!"
And Peggs ran to Margaret and was hugged and hugged in her lovingarms.
And all the time Kernel Cob was trying to understand what was goingon, for he knew Jackie and Peggs the moment he saw them, but couldn'tget into his head that Margaret and John were their motheranfather.
"You dear, blessed children," cried John hugging them first one andthen the other, "and to think that we could have ever left you to gohunt for gold."
"And to think," said Margaret, "that these dolls should have been sentby Providence, way out to the Yukon to remind us that children are thegreatest riches in the world."
And she held the dolls up in her hands.
"It's Kernel Cob and Sweetclover!" shouted Jackie and Peggs together,and in a jiffy they had them in their arms.
And they all had a wonderful party of ice cream and cakes and puddingsand candies, the best party ever you saw.
"This is the happiest day of my life," said Father.
"It is indeed," said Mother.
"I never thought I could be so happy," said Peggs.
"You bet," said Jackie.
"Well," said Sweetclover to Kernel Cob, "now do you understand?"
"Huh," said Kernel Cob, "I knew it all the time, only I didn't want tospoil the surprise for you."
"But what I want to know," said Peggs, "is how Kernel Cob and LittleMiss Sweetclover never wilted like all the other flowers, but havekept as fresh as the day we made them."
"I'll tell you why," said Jackie, and he looked very wise. "It'sbecause they are fairy dolls and everybody knows that fairies live onforever and forever!"
The End.]
* * * * *
Dear Children:
Although we have been all over the world and even up to the moon, wehave never seen any books that you will like better (we think) thanthe other books in the Volland "Happy Children" Series, to which webelong. Here they are:
WINKLE, TWINKLE AND LOLLYPOP By Nina Wilcox Putnam and Norman Jacobsen, illustrated by Katharine Sturges Dodge
THE PERHAPPSY CHAPS By Ruth Plumly Thompson, illustrated by Arthur Henderson
RAGGEDY ANN Written and illustrated by Johnny Gruelle
MY VERY OWN FAIRY STORIES Written and illustrated by Johnny Gruelle
RHYMES FOR KINDLY CHILDREN By Fairmont Snyder, illustrated by Johnny Gruelle
QUACKY DOODLES' AND DANNY DADDLES BOOK By Rose Strong Hubbell, illustrated by Johnny Gruelle
You can get any one of these beautiful books from your Book Man, butif he hasn't got them, write to our publishers, P.F. VOLLAND COMPANY,at Chicago, Illinois.
Lovingly yours,
Kernel Cob
Little Miss Sweetclover
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