Baby Island (16 page)

“Oh, Mr. Peterkin! I’m glad you’ve seen the light!” cried Mary, and, to Mr. Peterkin’s great embarrassment, Jean repeated what she had done on Christmas eve. She threw her arms around Mr. Peterkin’s neck and kissed him on the nose.

“And after you are married,” said Mary, “why don’t you come to Australia and live near us?”

“I been athinkin’ of that,” said Mr. Peterkin, “if your Pappy wouldn’t mind, and would help me to locate some land.”

“I shall be delighted!” cried Mr. Wallace, cordially shaking the honest seaman’s hand.

“And you’ll bring Halfred, won’t you?” begged the girls.

“Aye, Halfred and me is mates, ain’t we, Halfred? I’ll not be leavin’ ’im!”

While they had so much desired it, there was yet something a little sad about leaving Baby Island. Living there had been a great adventure!

“We were very happy,” said Mary, “even if it was hard.”

“Yes,” agreed Jean. “It was a real nice place to stop over at on our way to Australia.”

They went to the stern of the yacht as she steamed away, and watched Baby Island as long as they could see it on the blue horizon. The babies were busy with their mothers, who could not get enough of them after such a long separation, so that Mary and Jean stood alone.

They waved their handkerchiefs to the empty island until it was out of sight.

“Well,” said Mary, “it was better than borrowing babies for an afternoon anyway. Just think, we had them for nearly three months. Jonah got his first tooth, Ann Elizabeth learned to walk, and the twins to talk. It was better than never having had babies.”

“Yes,” said Jean. “It was worth all we went through. Of course, there are sure to be babies in Australia that we can borrow, and anyway, Mary, we have
one
of our babies left.”

Prince Charley, who had been swinging in the rigging by his tail, leaped down to her shoulder and put his skinny little arms about her neck.