Gertrude Chandler Warner

“ And then not only Henry himself, but the enormous crowd as well, began to see how fast he could run. Slowly he gained on the fellow ahead of him, and passed him. With the next fellow as a goal, he gradually crept alongside, and passed him with a spurt. The crowd shouted itself hoarse. The field all along the course was black with people. Henry could hear them cheering for Number 4, as he pounded by. Six runners remained ahead of him. Here was the kind of race the crowd loved; not an easily won affair between two runners, but a gradual victory between the best runner and overpowering odds. ”

“ It was a "cherry year," certainly. There were two varieties in the orchard, the pale yellow kind with a red cheek, and the deep crimson ones which were just as red in the center as they were on the outside. The red ones were huge, bursting with juice, and the trees were laden full with the luscious fruit. Even the air was perfumed.
It was a pretty sight that the doctor finally turned his back upon when he went on his calls. Henry, slim, tanned, and graceful, picked rapidly from the tallest ladder in the largest tree. The two girls in their sensible bloomer suits could climb like cats. ”

“ And when she ladled out four portions on four plates of all sizes, some of them tin, and laid a spoon in each, the children felt that the world held no greater riches. The tiny onions floated around like pearls; the carrots melted in your mouth; and the shreds of meat were as tender as possible from long boiling. A bit of bread in one hand helped the feast along wonderfully. The little wanderers ate until they could eat no more. "I have time before dark to make Benny's cart," observed Henry, biting a crisp, sweet carrot. ”

“ Jess was staring off into space, as she always did when she had a bright idea.
"Violet," she cried at last, "remember those chips? We could whittle out letters like type—make each letter backwards, you know."
"And stamp them on paper!" finished Violet.
"There would be only twenty-six in all. It wouldn't be awfully hard," said Jess. "We wouldn't bother with capitals."
"What could we use for ink?" Violet wondered, wrinkling her forehead.
"Blackberry juice!" cried Jess. The two girls clapped their hands. "Won't Henry be surprised when he finds that Benny can read?" ”

“ Soon after that Jess and Henry heard her snoring heavily. They sat up in the dark.
"Mustn't we surely run away?" whispered Jess in Henry's ear.
"Yes!" whispered Henry. "Take only what we need most. We must be far off before morning, or they will catch us."
Jess sat still for a moment, thinking, for every motion she made must count.
"I will take both loaves of bread," she thought, "and Violet's little workbag. Henry has his knife. And all Father's money is in my pocket." She drew it out and counted it in the dark, squinting her eyes in the faint light of the moon. ”

“ BUILDING THE DAM
Even a hammer makes a good pillow if one is tired enough, and the freight-car family slept until the nine-o'clock church bells began to ring faintly in the valley. There were at least a dozen churches, and their far-away bells sounded sweetly harmonious in so many different keys.
"They almost play a tune," said Violet, as she listened.
"I like music all right," replied Henry in a business-like way, "but I for one shall have to get to work."
"This will be a good day to wash all the stockings," said Jess. "We'll all be wading so much in the brook, anyway." ”

“ Henry decided wisely. "Load on all you can carry, Jess."
"For Benny," thought Violet to herself. So the odd little party trudged on for nearly three hours, laden with hay, until they found that the road ended in a cart path through the woods.
"Oh, dear!" exclaimed Jess, almost ready to cry with disappointment.
"What's the matter?" demanded Henry in astonishment. "Isn't the woods a good place to sleep? We can't sleep in the road, you know."
"It does seem nice and far away from people," admitted Jess, "and it's almost morning." ”

“ Here was the big kettle and the tablecloth. And hanging on a near-by tree was the old dinner bell. Benny rang the bell over and over again, and Watch rolled on the floor and barked himself hoarse.
The children were never homesick after that. To be sure, a dull and ugly freight car looked a little strange in a beautiful Italian garden. But it was never dull or ugly to the Cordyce children or their dog. They never were so happy as when showing visitors each beauty of their beloved old home. ”

“ In an instant Jess and Violet were looking over Henry's shoulder at the pretty sight.
"How different everything looks with the sun shining!" exclaimed Jess. "Things will soon be dry at this rate."
"It must be about noon," observed Henry, looking at the sun. And as he spoke the faint echo of mill bells in the distance was heard.
"Henry!" said Jess sharply. "Let's live here!"
"Live here?" repeated Henry dully.
"Yes! Why not?" replied Jess. "Nobody uses this car, and it's dry and warm. We're quite far away. And yet we are near enough to a town so we can buy things." ”

“ When lunch time came J. H. Cordyce saw all his grandchildren except Violet. He smiled with delight when he saw Jess coming down the stairs in her womanly fashion. Henry shook hands with him before he sat down, but he kept glancing at the stranger all through the meal.
"Where have I seen that man before?" he thought.
Mrs. McAllister had given the children's names clearly when she introduced them—Jess, Benny, and Henry. Henry James, she had added. But she had not added the man's name.
"She forgot," thought Jess. "Because she knows him so well, she thinks we do." ”

“ More flat stones had been set on end to keep out the wind. On top of the stones lay the most wonderful collection of firewood that you can imagine, all ready to light. There were chips and bits of crumpled paper, pine cones, and dry twigs. Beside the big rock was a woodpile. The children had apparently been working like beavers all the morning. Jess had found a heavy wire in the dump, and had fastened it between two trees. On the wire the kettle swung merrily.
"Fine! Fine!" shouted Henry when he saw it. ”

“ That delightful man his grandfather? It was impossible. He was too young, to begin with. Henry expected a white-haired gentleman with a cane and a terrible voice. But all the time, he knew in his soul that it was not only possible, but really true. He recalled the man's reply to Benny's direct question—he had said he was going to stay as long as they would let him. Could it be that the man knew them without introducing himself? A perfect torrent of thoughts assailed Henry as he sat crouched on the office steps. ”

“ Benny thought a minute. "Can't I ask for what I want any more?" he said.
"Indeed you can!" cried Jess and Henry together. "What is it you want?"
"I'm awful hungry," said Benny anxiously.
Henry's brow cleared. "Good old Benny," he said. "We're just going to have supper—or is it breakfast?"
Jess drew out the fragrant loaf of bread. She cut it with Henry's jackknife into four quarters, and she and Henry took the two crusty ends themselves.
"That's because we have to be the strongest, and crusts make you strong," explained Jess.
Violet looked at her older sister. ”

“ With Benny sitting by to watch proceedings, Jess mapped out a remarkable Teddy-bear. One stocking, carefully trimmed, made the head and body, while the other furnished material for two arms, two legs, and the stuffing. Jess worked hard over the head, pushing the padding well into the blunt nose. Violet embroidered two beautiful eyes in black and white, and a jet black nose-tip.
"You must make a tail, too, Jessy," said Benny, watching her snip the brown rags.
"Bears don't have tails, Benny," argued Jess—although she wasn't exactly sure she was right. ”

“ When the meal was over, and exactly half of each bottle of milk remained, Jess said, "We are going to sleep on beds tonight, and just as soon as we get our beds made, we are all going to be washed."
"That'll be fun, Benny," added Violet. "We'll wash our paws in the brook just the way Cinnamon does."
"First, let's gather armfuls of dry pine needles," ordered Jess. "Get those on top that have been lying in the sunshine." Jess laid the dog down on a bed of moss as she spoke, and started energetically to scoop up piles of the fragrant needles. ”

“ He struggled down from his chair and dashed over to the young lady saying, in one breath, "You'll let us keep Watchie, please, won't you, because we want him so bad, and Jess didn't know he was your dog?"
By degrees the lady understood just what dog it was.
"We have had him so long," explained Henry, eagerly, "it would be almost like letting Benny go away. Watch never leaves us even for a minute, ever since Jess took the briar out of his foot." ”

“ In less than an hour Benny had made five firm friends. The hired men joked with him, the cook petted him, the young doctor laughed at him delightedly, and sweet Mrs. McAllister fell in love with him. Finally he seated himself comfortably at her side under the trees and filled square boxes with great care under her direction.
"I never had such a cheerful crowd of cherry pickers before," Mrs. McAllister said at last. "I'd much rather stay out here than go into the house where it is cool."
Evidently Mary the cook felt the same way, for she kept coming to the orchard for some reason or other. ”

“ All the others sat down on the fragrant hay to watch him ride.
"What am I going to do when I grow up, Grandfather?" asked Henry.
"You're going to take my place, Henry, as president of the steel mills," replied Mr. Cordyce. "You will do it better than I ever have." (And one day this came true, just as most of Mr. Cordyce's prophecies did.)
"And what am I going to do?" asked Jess, curiously.
"All you children must go to school and then to college. Then you may do whatever you choose for a living," replied Mr. Cordyce. ”

“ Violet kept a different bouquet daily in the little vase. She had a perfect genius for arranging three purple irises to look like a picture, or a single wood lily with its leaves like a Japanese print. Each day the children enjoyed a cooked dinner, filling in the chinks with perfect satisfaction with bread and butter, or bread and milk, or bread and cheese. They named their queer house, "Home for Tramps," and printed this title in fancy lettering inside the car.
One day Jess began to teach Benny a little arithmetic. He learned very readily that two and one make three. ”

“ But about ten o'clock that night Violet had a chill. She shivered and shook, and her teeth chattered so that Jess could plainly hear them. Apparently nothing could warm the little girl, although she was completely packed in hay and pine needles.
"I'm going down to Dr. McAllister's," said Henry quietly. "I'm afraid Violet is very ill."
Nobody ever knew how fast he ran down the hill. Even in his famous race, Henry hardly touched his present speed. He was so thoroughly frightened that he never stopped to notice how quickly the doctor seemed to understand what was wanted. ”

“ When they were well rinsed with clear water they dried themselves with the towel. Then Jess washed both towels nicely with soap, rinsed them, and hung them on the clothesline of tape, which she had stretched between two slender birch trees. They flapped lazily in the wind.
"Looks like home already, Jess," said Henry, smiling at the washing.
The tired children clambered into the "bedroom," Jess coming last with the wounded dog.
"We'll have to leave the door open, it's so hot," said Henry, lying down with a tired sigh. ”

“ And if you hadn't had your new ones, we couldn't have made this bear out of your old ones."
"You want his name to be Stockings?" asked Benny politely.
"Stockings? No," answered Jess. "I was thinking of 'Ginseng.'"
"Ginseng?" echoed Benny, thinking deeply. "That's a nice name. All right, I think Ginseng will be a good bear, if Watchie doesn't bark at him." And from that moment the bear's name was Ginseng as long as he lived, and he lived to be a very old bear indeed. ”

“ If we can only get to another town before they find out we're gone, they won't know which way to go."
Jess agreed, and they all walked briskly along in the faint moonlight.
"How far can you carry Benny?" asked Violet.
"Oh, at least a mile," said Henry confidently, although his arms were beginning to ache. Benny was five years old, and he was a fat, healthy boy as well.
"I think we could all walk faster if we woke him up," said Jess decidedly. "We could each take his hand and almost carry him along." ”

“ She approached the dog carefully, for she remembered that her mother had always told her never to touch a strange dog unless he wagged his tail. But this dog's tail was wagging, certainly, so Jess bent over without fear to look at the paw. An exclamation of pity escaped her when she saw it, for a stiff, sharp thorn had been driven completely through one of the cushions of the dog's foot, and around it the blood had dried.
"I guess I can fix that." said Jess briskly. "But taking the thorn out is going to hurt you, old fellow." ”