"Did you know all about it?" Janet asked in surprise.
"I should say I did." Mr. Jenkins nodded his head to give further
weight to his words.
"I wonder why no one ever told me," Janet said more to herself than
to him.
Mr. Jenkins chuckled.
"I kinda guess all the folks that knew about it, knew your
grandmother didn't want it told, and perhaps you've noticed folks
have a way of doing things like she wants."
"I suppose that was it," Janet agreed idly. "Isn't that the train?"
she asked a minute later as a faint rumble became audible.
Mr. Jenkins consulted his watch.
"Wouldn't wonder if it were," he said. "I'd better be getting the
mail bags ready."
Janet couldn't very well ask him to wait, but she watched his
retreating figure with a sinking feeling around her heart. At least
he was somebody to talk to, and anything was better than being alone.
She could feel her heart pounding, and something in her throat seemed
to interfere with her breathing.
Never did a train take so long to slow up and finally stop, but Janet
found herself suddenly wishing that it would take twice as long.
The first person to alight was Tom, and he took time to wave to her
before he turned to help down a slender little lady dressed in pearl
gray. Janet started forward to meet them, and then stopped short for
she saw herself stepping off the train; eyes, hair, straight little
nose, even to the solitary dimple in the left cheek. She was
carrying a basket and she was laughing at Tom. Then she looked up
and stopped too.
The Page twins stared at each other.
"Janet!" Phyllis was the first to regain the power of speech. She
dropped her basket into Tom's arms and ran forward.
The next thing Janet knew she was being kissed and hugged.
"Oh, you adorable love!" Phyllis exclaimed rapturously. "Isn't it
all perfectly thrilling and fairy-taleish? I could just eat you
alive, I am so excited. Please say right away that you are going to
love me or I shall die of misery."
Poor Janet! She had never heard so many adjectives in all her life
and the speed with which Phyllis rattled on dumbfounded her. Miss
Carter, Aunt Mog, came to her rescue.
"Phyllis, my love, do stop talking and give some one else a chance to
say how do you do to Janet." She laughed. "Janet, my dear, I am
your Aunt Mog, and I am, oh, so very happy to see you."
Janet kissed her and murmured, "Thank you."
"Well, don't I get a kiss, little sister of mine?" Tom inquired in
his deep, good-natured voice.
At the sound of it Janet found her tongue.
"Of course you do!" she exclaimed. "Oh, I am so happy, I can't think
of anything to say," she confessed shyly.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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