The Thirteenth Tale

One day during the first week of Margaret’s visit, she sees a visitor drive up and enter the house. Before she can find out who it is, her daily session with Vida begins. That day, Vida tells the story of the perambulator (baby carriage) owned by a woman named Mary, or as the twins called her, Merrily. The twins, Emmeline and Adeline, became fascinated with the carriage owned by Mary and her husband, Fred Jameson. All day, as Mary does the washing and the rest of her chores, she parks the carriage in the garden, with their baby inside. One day, while she is not looking, the twins steal the carriage with the baby still inside. They take it, with much difficulty, to a large hill, take the baby out and set him on the ground, and Adeline climbs in. She sets off down the hill in the carriage, and it gains speed until it hits a rock and flies through the air, overturning. When Emmeline runs to the bottom of the hill, she finds Adeline with a broken arm, but still thrilled with her ride. Eventually, the men in the village find the carriage and the baby, wrapped in his blanket and still sitting on top of the hill, forgotten by the twins but unharmed.