_The Impossible World Again_
When Jack and Molly reached the fence that separated their garden from
the wood, Jack was surprised to find his slipper still lying there—the
slipper he had lost on the way out.
“Oh, I say, Moll,” he said. “Look here—I forgot to give Old Nancy her
slipper back, and now I’ve got three slippers all alike!”
Which was in truth the case. As they crossed the garden they noticed
that day was just dawning. They found the back door locked, but Jack
scrambled through the scullery window, which was unfastened, and so let
Molly in without disturbing anybody. They crept upstairs and managed to
get an hour’s rest before the breakfast bell rang.
Molly remembered to place her little box on the dressing-table before
she went to sleep, and when she woke she saw that the sun was streaming
right across it. So she sprang up eagerly and opened the box. Inside
was the most exquisite silver bangle that she had ever seen. Molly was
delighted, and she found afterward that it had indeed some special
charm about it, for she was always happy when wearing it and those
around her seemed the same.
At the breakfast-table Mother and Father seemed to the children to
glance at them rather curiously.
“Mother,” began Molly, “do you know who gave me this?” and she showed
her the silver bracelet.
“Yes,” said Mother to Molly’s surprise. “I know all about it.”
“Why, how did you?” asked Jack.
But “Ah!” was all Mother would say, and she and Father exchanged amused
glances.
It was a little puzzling. And even when there arrived by post for Jack
a long narrow box containing three paint-brushes, Mother and Father
never asked whom they were from, although there was no name inside.
“I suppose there’s no need for us to tell you all about our adventure,
if you know already?” remarked Jack. “Do you know everything?”
“Everything,” replied Mother, smiling.
Of course the grey pumpkin pincushion had entirely vanished from
Molly’s dressing-table, and she never set eyes on it again, though she
wrote and thanked Aunt Phœbe for her ‘useful present.’
Jack and Molly often wonder where the Grey Pumpkin and his spies
are. They have never seen any of them yet, though Molly has seen a
ticket-collector who reminds her somewhat of the old watchmaker. Both
children keep a watchful eye on all shops that sell hassocks, and
always glance eagerly round the room when they are invited out to tea
anywhere, but so far they have not come across the Grey Pumpkin.
Transcriber’s note
Text in italics has been surrounded with _underscores_, and small
capitals changed to all capitals. A table of Contents was missing in
the original, and has been added. The spelling of the name of Aunt
Phœbe has been made consistent. Some missing letters and punctuation
have been added. Otherwise the original has been preserved, including
inconsistent spelling and hyphenation.
End of Project Gutenberg's Knock Three Times!, by Marion St. John Webb