His other hand was tightly clasped in Mr. Pond's big
one. He was smiling at them all. His eyes looked dazed and radiant. He
turned his head as the buggy flashed by to call out, in a shrill,
exulting little shout, "Good-bye! Good-bye! I'm going to live with ..."
They could hear no more. He was gone, only his little hand still waving
at them over the back of the buggy seat.
Betsy drew a long, long breath. She found that Ralph was looking at her.
For a moment she couldn't think what made him look so different. Then
she saw that he was smiling. She had never seen him smile before. He
smiled at her as though he were sure she would understand, and never
said a word. Betsy looked forward again and saw the gleaming buggy
vanishing over the hill in front of them. She smiled back at Ralph
silently.
Not a thing had happened the way she had planned; no, not a single
thing! But it seemed to her she had never been so happy in her life.
CHAPTER X
BETSY HAS A BIRTHDAY
Betsy's birthday was the ninth day of September, and the Necronsett
Valley Fair is always held from the eighth to the twelfth. So it was
decided that Betsy should celebrate her birthday by going up to
Woodford, where the Fair was held. The Putneys weren't going that year,
but the people on the next farm, the Wendells, said they could make room
in their surrey for the two little girls; for, of course, Molly was
going, too.
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