“I thought it looked like you.”
“A thousand thanks! Fasten the clasp for me.”
He fumbled it awkwardly, but with final success. She turned for inspection, her eyes avid for praise. He nodded.
“It is where it belongs,” he said.
The day passed happily. Ardelia’s dinner was a Christmas poem. When the Professor complimented her on the success of everything, she replied:
“Yassuh, dis heah day been all right. But I hopes befo’ nex’ Chris'mus we all gwine to have some chilluns to make dis a sho’ nuff pahty.”
Bambi’s face was scarlet, but she faced it out.
“Oh, not children, Ardelia—singular, you mean, I hope.”
“No, I don’t mean sing'lar. We don’ want no singular chilluns. I mean jes’ plain chilluns.”
“The holiday seems to be peculiarly the children’s day,” said the Professor, unaware of the situation, and so saved it!
Thus it was that Jarvis was welcomed into the family circle again, and this time he became an integral part as he had never been before. The day after Christmas he came to Bambi with her story.
