Magic Elizabeth: Chapter eighteen
¦ CHAPTER Eighteen
Aunt Sarah
The story so far: Sally has found Elizabeth, tucked for years into a small space between the ceiling and the floor of the attic! But yet another surprise awaits Sally …
Aunt Sarah uttered a strange little cry of joy.
“It is Elizabeth! Sal!” she cried. “You’ve solved the mystery! How did you do it?”
“Shadow was trying to get her out all the time,” said Sally. “He knew! He knew where Elizabeth was! He got the bonnet out!” She stroked his fur. “Oh, Shadow, you’re wonderful!”
Shadow blinked and purred, and Sally told her aunt about the dream and how she had figured out what had happened.
“Sal, this is just amazing!” said her aunt. She was holding Elizabeth out and smiling at her, just as if she knew her. “Well, old Elizabeth,” she was saying, “we’ll just have to wash your dress and iron it, and then we’ll brush your hair, and you’ll be just like your old self. And of course,” she added, handing the doll back to Sally, “she’s yours.”
“She is?” whispered Sally, looking down in wonder at Elizabeth cradled in her arms. Elizabeth seemed to be smiling up at her. “She’s mine?”
“Of course,” said her aunt. “I know that the other Sally would want you to have her.”
“If only she could know,” said Sally, glancing over at the broken mirror.
“I think she does,” said Aunt Sarah.
Yes, thought Sally. Maybe she does. Somehow. “I think Elizabeth really is a little magic,” she said.
“So do I,” said her aunt. “Come, let’s go down now.”
“But the mirror,” said Sally.
“Never mind,” said her aunt. “It doesn’t matter. We’ll clean it up later. We’ll take care of Elizabeth first. She’s been waiting a long, long time.”
“The bonnet!” said Sally. She took it from her pocket and placed it on Elizabeth’s head. Then they went off down the stairs together.
“May I show her to Emily?” Sally asked.
“Run along,” said her aunt, smiling.
“Sally, you’re better!” cried Emily, when she had come to the window in response to Sally’s excited call.
Sally nodded. For a moment she could not speak.
“What are you holding behind your back, Sally?”
Sally brought the doll out and held her up.
“Elizabeth!” shrieked Emily. “You found her! How? Where?”
“Tom hid her in the attic,” said Sally, “in the space under the roof. Shadow and I found her! And Emily, you helped!”
“I did?” gasped Emily.
“Yes, that time in the sleigh, when you said that maybe the cats knew what happened. It started me thinking. And then you found the bonnet!”
Emily beamed with pride.
She came along to help wash and iron Elizabeth’s clothes. When they were done, they took Elizabeth up to the bedroom and compared her with the doll in the picture. “She looks just the same,” said Sally.
“Maybe even better,” said Emily.
That night Sally dreamed that she saw the other Sally. Sally held Elizabeth up and said, “I found her,” and the other Sally smiled and waved. “I’m happy now,” said the other Sally, and vanished.
Sally woke with Elizabeth beside her on her pillow. “I’m happy, too,” she said to the little doll. “And I really think the other Sally does know now.” It seemed to her that Elizabeth was smiling just a little more than usual.
Her mother and father came to get Sally that morning. She ran down the front path, clutching Elizabeth, and threw herself into their arms. Everyone was laughing and talking at once. Sally kept waving Elizabeth excitedly.
Aunt Sarah was waiting in the doorway with Shadow as they came up onto the porch. Sally’s mother ran to her and kissed her.
“Aunt Sal!” she cried, hugging her. “Oh, Aunt Sal!”
Sally stopped in astonishment and stared at them. “What did you say?”
Her mother turned and smiled at her. “I said, ‘Aunt Sal.’ I haven’t seen Aunt Sal in years, and I’m so glad to see her!”
“What’s the matter, Sally?” asked her father.
For Sally was staring at her aunt. Aunt Sarah’s eyes were twinkling, and her lips were twitching a little, as if a smile was trying to get out.
“But you’re Aunt Sarah!” she said.
Her aunt nodded. “But my nickname was always Sal.”
Sally stared some more. Then she said slowly, “You’re-you’re the other Sally! And Elizabeth was yours! You knew about her, and about Mrs. Niminy Piminy-“
Her aunt nodded. She was really smiling now.
“Oh, Aunt Sarah!” cried Sally, and she rushed into her aunt’s arms, Elizabeth and all. “I love you,” she said, kissing her aunt’s cheek.
“And I love you, Sal,” said her aunt.
They all went into the parlor and talked and talked. The melodeon, of course, joined in from time to time.
“And so,” said Sally’s father at last, “you’ll be selling the house and going back to California, will you? It looks as if Sally is going to miss you.”
Aunt Sarah smiled and shook her head. “I’ve changed my mind.”
They all looked at her.
“You see,” she explained, “I really felt just terrible about selling this old place, and maybe having them tear it down, but there seemed to be no reason not to. Now there are lots of reasons,” she said, looking fondly over at Sally. “I love this house; it’s full of my memories. I’ll come here every summer, and go to California for the winter, if I feel like it. I’d like to have the garden fixed up, put all these shells along the paths again, and have the house painted. Yes, I’m staying. That is, if Sally and Elizabeth will come to visit me from time to time.”
“Oh, Aunt Sarah,” whispered Sally. “I’m so glad! I can’t wait to tell Emily!”
“And will you come?” asked her aunt.
“Oh, yes!” cried Sally. “Yes, we will!”
And they did.
THE END