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Page 40
"Everything is all right," he announced in a ringing voice. "Had
an answer from Cordova at nine o'clock last night. Lou and the
boys are living with her Uncle Matthew, and they want me to come
out there as quick as trains will carry me. I'm off this morning!"
"I'm so glad," Mother Blossom kept saying. "I'm so glad."
"Can't be half as glad as I am," answered the smiling Mr. Harley.
"And to think if it hadn't been for this boy here I never would
have found them! I'll never forget the Blossoms if I live to be a
hundred."
Mr. Harley, we'll tell you here, did find his wife and two sons in
Oklahoma, and as they did not want to return to Apple Tree Island
where they had been so unhappy, he settled down in Cordova with
them and helped the uncle to farm. Uncle Matthew Dexter and Aunt
Sue were both growing old and they were very glad to have a
younger and stronger man to lend them a hand. As for the two boys
and Mrs. Harley, they declared that they never would give them up,
so it was fortunate that Mr. Harley liked to farm. Dick and
Herbert grew into fine young lads. So we may leave the Harley
family with a comfortable mind.
Fourth of July dawned hot and sunny on Apple Tree Island. Captain
Jenks came over in his motor-boat and brought a huge chunk of ice
for the freezing of the ice-cream. He had been invited to stay to
dinner and to see the fireworks in the evening, and when, after
dinner, it grew so hot that Father Blossom declared the sun would
certainly set fire to the sparklers without any punk, the jolly
captain loaded "all hands" on board The Sarah and took them off
for a sail around the island.
There was plenty of breeze then, you may be sure, and the children
had great fun lighting their sparklers and hanging them over the
rail to burn. They had to keep away from the engine with their
"fizzers," as the captain would call them, because he said he
wouldn't trust even guaranteed fireworks to be harmless around a
gasoline engine, but they had plenty of excitement without blowing
up the good ship Sarah.
"Why, we're not going home--we're going to Greenpier!" cried Meg,
when they had sailed around the island and were headed for the
opposite shore.
Mother and Father Blossom looked very mysterious, but said
nothing, and Captain Jenks answered all questions by ordering them
not to talk to "the man at the wheel."
When The Sarah bumped into the Greenpier wharf, the four little
Blossoms made a simultaneous discovery.
"Jud!" they shrieked in unison. "Jud Apgar! Oh, Juddy!"
It was Jud, Jud grinning happily with a traveling bag in one hand
and a box in the other.
"Go easy now," he warned the children as they descended upon him
in a body. "Miss Polly sent your mother some fresh eggs--you don't
want to smash 'em, do you?"
Mother Blossom rescued the egg box, and the children escorted Jud
on deck and introduced him to Captain Jenks.
"Guess you surprised some folks," said the captain, shaking Jud's
hand as though he were very glad to see him. "Some folks couldn't
see why we should come to Greenpier on a Wednesday afternoon and a
holiday at that."
Mother and Father Blossom and Aunt Polly had planned the surprise,
it seemed. Jud could never leave Brookside Farm for long at one
time in the Summer, there was so much work to be done, but Aunt
Polly assured him that he could easily be spared for a few days'
visit to Apple Tree Island. She had planned it with Father and
Mother Blossom through letters and they had kept the secret
successfully.
If the afternoon was still hot when they reached home, no one knew
it. The whole island had to be shown to Jud, and he had to see the
Harley shack and hear of the discovery of the silver mugs and the
letters. It was supper time before the children realized it and
then, in a little while, it was dark.
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