His eyes grew wider
and rounder, and at last he breathed, in an awed whisper, 'Br'er Rabbit.'
But he soon overcame his surprise, and the jargon he talked to it made
our sides ache with laughing."
The gifts that had been prepared for the supposed child were taken by Amy
in very good part, but with the tact of a well-bred girl who would not
spoil a jest, rather than with the undisguised delight of Johnnie.
"Only Johnnie and I have seen little Amy," said Leonard--"I at the depot
before she grew up; and this morning she became a little girl again as a
Christmas wonder for my little girl. Johnnie's faith and fairy lore may
make the transformation possible to her again, but I fear the rest of us
will never catch another glimpse of the child we expected"; for Amy's
grown-up air since she had appeared in the breakfast-room had been almost
a surprise to him after hearing through the partition her pretty nonsense
over her stocking.
"I fear you are right," said Amy, with a half-sigh; "and yet it was
lovely to feel just like Johnnie once more;" and she stole a shy glance
at Webb, who must have heard some of her exclamations. The expression of
his face seemed to reassure her, and without further misgiving she joined
in a laugh at one of Burt's sallies.
CHAPTER VI
NATURE'S HALF-KNOWN SECRETS
Amy's thoughts naturally reverted before very long to Mrs. Clifford's
pets--the flowers--and she asked how they had endured the intense cold of
the night.
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