Penny and Peter

by Carolyn Haywood

  Mummy lifted up a little. "Now I hope Molly has found a comfortable spot," she said.

  Merry snuggled into her mother's arms. "Mummy," she whispered, "do I have to go to America?"

  "Yes, dear," replied Mummy.

  "But why, Mummy?" asked Merry. "Don't you and Daddy want me here with you?"

  "Well, you see, darling, Aunt Helen and Uncle Bill haven't any little girl and Daddy and I want to share our little girl with them."

  "But you won't have any little girl while I am in America," said Merry.

  "It won't be long, dear," said Mummy. "You will be back almost before I can say 'Jack Robinson.' What a lot you will have to tell Daddy and me."

  Merry was quiet a long time. Mummy thought she was asleep but Merry was thinking. After a while she said, "Mummy, I'm not going to take Molly to America with me. I'm going to leave her with you to be your little girl."

  "Oh, Merry!" said Mummy, hugging her very tight, "how sweet of you to want to leave Molly with me!"

  Merry thought again for a long time. She was having a very hard time deciding something. At last she whispered, "I'll leave Greggie, too, if you want him."

  "No, dear," replied Mummy, "you must take Greggie with you. I'll be very happy with Molly."

  "You'll be very careful not to sit on her or lie on her, won't you?" asked Merry.

  "Indeed, I'll be very careful always to notice where she is," replied Mummy.

  "That's good," sighed Merry. "I'm really very glad Greggie is going with me." Then she ran her fingers in her mother's soft hair and went to sleep.

  The next morning everyone was up very early. Mr. and Mrs. Ramsay were going to take Merry to the boat to go to America.

  When Mummy brushed Merry's hair, Merry said, "Molly has golden curls, you know."

  "No, I didn't know that Molly has golden curls," said Mummy. "I'm glad you told me. I'll brush them every day while you are away."

  When Merry went downstairs to breakfast, her daddy fastened a little chain around her neck. A metal tag hung from the chain. On one side of the tag was Merry's name, her daddy's name, and her address in London. On the other side was the name and address of Merry's uncle Bill in America. "Now you can't get lost," said Daddy.

  Merry sat down at the breakfast table. Beside her plate there was a little box. Merry picked up the box and opened it. There was a tiny golden ring. It had a little blue stone in the center and a pearl on each side. "Oh!" said Merry. "Is it for me?"

  "Yes," said Mummy. "It is a remembrance present from Daddy and me."

  Merry slipped the ring on her finger. "Oh, thank you," she said, "it's beautiful!"

  Merry could hardly eat her breakfast for looking at her new ring. She had never had a ring before.

  After breakfast Merry said good-bye to Annie, the cook. "Will you see that Molly has her tea every afternoon, Annie?" said Merry.

  "That I will," said Annie. Annie's eyes were red and she wiped a tear on her apron.

  "What is the matter, Annie?" asked Merry. You're crying.

  "Oh, 'tis only the onions," she replied. "They always make me cry when I peel them."

  "Come, Merry," called Daddy, "the cab is waiting."

  Annie pushed a little box into Merry's hand. "There! Gumdrops!" said Annie. "Just a little going-away present for you."

  "Oh, thank you, Annie," said Merry.

  Annie watched her as she ran down the front steps and jumped into the cab. "She's so little," sobbed Annie, "so little to be going away all by herself."

  Merry sat between her mummy and daddy. On her lap she held her best doll, Bonnie. Her suitcase was in front with the driver.

  In a moment they were off. When they were halfway to the station, Merry suddenly remembered Greggie. "Where's Greggie?" she cried.

  "Gracious!" shouted Daddy. "We have forgotten Greggie! I put him in his traveling basket and left him in the kitchen."

  Daddy pulled his watch out of his pocket. "We can't go back now," he said. "If we do, we will miss the boat train."

  "Oh, Daddy!" cried Merry. "What will I do without Greggie? What will I do!" Tears ran down Merry's cheeks. Mummy put her arm around her and she leaned her head on Mummy's breast. "Don't cry, my pet," said Mummy. "Don't cry, dear."

  "Oh, Mummy! Mummy!" she sobbed. "I don't want to go to America without Greggie. What will he do without me?"

  Mummy tried to comfort her little girl but Merry cried all the way to the station.

  At the station there were crowds of people. Daddy took Merry's suitcase and hurried Merry and her mummy through the crowd. They had to walk a long way to the train. When they reached it, they climbed into one of the little compartments. Soon they were settled for the long journey to the boat. Merry was still crying.

  In a few moments the conductor came past and slammed the doors.

  "Oh, Greggie!" sobbed Merry. "My little Greggie!"

  Suddenly there was a shrill toot of the train whistle. The train started with a jolt. Then it stopped. Daddy lowered the window and looked out. What did he see but Annie running down the platform beside the train. She was puffing and panting. In her hand she carried the basket with Greggie inside.

  Mr. Ramsay waved to her. "Here we are, Annie," he shouted. "Here we are!"

  Just then the train began to move. Annie rushed up to the window. Mr. Ramsay reached out and grabbed the basket.

  "I saw the basket the minute you left," she shouted. "I ran to the corner and jumped in a cab."

  Daddy and Merry were both leaning out of the window now. "Oh, thank you, Annie," cried Daddy.

  "Thank you, thank you, Annie," shouted Merry.

  Merry waved to Annie as long as she could see her. Then she settled down between Mummy and Daddy. She took the basket on her lap and opened it. She patted Greggie's head. Greggie licked her hand. "Oh, Greggie!" said Merry. "I'm so glad you didn't miss the train."

  CAROLYN HAYWOOD (1898–1990) was born in Philadelphia and began her career as an artist. She hoped to become a children's book illustrator, but at an editor's suggestion, she began writing stories about the everyday lives of children. The first of those, "B" Is for Betsy, was published in 1939, and more than fifty other books followed. One of America's most popular authors for children, Ms. Haywood used many of her own childhood experiences in her novels. "I write for children," she once explained, "because I feel that they need to know what is going on in their world and they can best understand it through stories."