Mikie was correct about several things.  One, the Rev.
Vick was quite upset with him.  Second, the Reverend
was unhappy with Miss Flossy who later told the
children they had hurt her feelings by doing what they
did, but she said she forgave them, and then she gave
each of them a big hug.  Rev. Vick told the children
that the Treadways wanted them to come visit with
them during Christmas at their home in Cary.  He said
the prospect of an adoption was a possibility.  He told
them to be on their best behavior as this was only a
trial period.  Mrs. Katy told them that Mr. Treadway
worked with the North Carolina Highway Department,
and that Mrs. Treadway was a schoolteacher.  Rev.
Vick actually admired what Mikie had done, but he
wasn’t about to tell him that.  He didn’t want anybody
else to try that same trick; there was way too much
danger.  They could have been kidnapped, frozen to
death, or something bad like that.  All the other
children never learned of any of the details since Rev.
Vick told them not to discuss any of this with any of the
other children at the orphanage.  The other children
just thought the O’Rourke’s had run away.     

The children did make it to Cary just three days before
Christmas.  The Treadways had a fairly nice home
much like the one they had lived in when their parents
were alive; well, maybe a little bigger, and maybe a
little nicer.  When Mikie and Mr. Treadway were
talking about Mikie’s father, Mr. Treadway told them
that he had been in the Army during World War II and
had recently retired from the National Guard.  He had
spent some time at Fort Bragg back during the War.  
Mrs. Treadway said this was the first time they had
bothered putting up a real Christmas tree in years.  
Jody and Lizzie helped Mrs. Treadway with the lights
and the trimming on the tree.  Both Mr. and Mrs.
Treadway asked the children to tell them all the details
of their escapade including how they got the idea and
how they were able to carry it out.  Mikie told them the
details.  Mr. Treadway was also impressed with Mikie’s
ability to conceive and execute such a complex plan.  
But, like Rev. Vick, he didn’t want to tell Mikie that.  
Mrs Treadway asked: “Mikie, didn’t you realize what
you did was dangerous?  You could have frozen to
death or someone could have kidnapped you.”  Mikie
replied: “No ma’am, I never did consider just how
dangerous it might have been.  It just seemed like it
was something we had to do.  But don’t worry.  We won’
t ever do anything like that again.  That’s enough
adventure for one lifetime.”  

Mr. Treadway said: “Several months ago the manager
at the Dixie Home Store there in Cary had told me that
he was from Rockingham.  Small world sometimes, isn’
t it?  His name is Buster Collier.  I think they changed
the name of the Dixie Home Store to Winn-Dixie.”  
Lizzie replied: “I remember Mr. Collier.  He and his
family went to our church at Pee Dee.”  Mike added: “I
think his mother, Mrs. Rebekah Collier used to be my
mother’s Sunday School teacher back before she was
married.  Mrs. Treadway asked: “What is Pee Dee”?  
Mikie answered: “It is a section of Rockingham near
the Pee Dee mills.  The were two Pee Dee mills, and
they must have taken their name from the Pee Dee
River just a few miles west of town on the way to
Wadesboro.”

As a schoolteacher, Mrs. Treadway was naturally
interested in the children’s education to that point in
time.  Mikie told her they went to the public schools in
Dunn, North Carolina, and that all of them made good
grades.  The children met with some of the neighbors
there in Cary, and for the most part got along well with
them.  There were two little girls about Lizzie and Jody’
s age who lived next door.  

Mrs. Treadway repeated that it surely was nice to have
someone to share Christmas with them this year.  The
children all received nice Christmas gifts.  Mikie got an
electric train set.  Both Lizzie and Jody received a tea
set and a dollhouse.  The children sensed that they
might be getting the best Christmas present of all, a
new home, but they didn’t talk about that.  After a nice
Christmas dinner and some caroling, they all sat in the
living room and relaxed.  Jody then exclaimed: “This is
the Perfect Christmas.”  Everybody smiled.

The Treadways did adopt all three children in March of
the following year.