As Mrs. Mitchell arrives, Bill revives and explains that his father had an appendicitis attack and needs emergency help. As calls are placed to the doctor and the hospital, everyone else leaves, but Danny remains in the house and sees a police car arrive holding the same vagrant who was chased away from the house by Rusty. Jack Wiggins, the gas station owner/attendant, explains to a gathering of locals that "…when I got back, I found this character looting the cash register". The vagrant is brought into the Mitchell house where a confrontation with Rusty makes him blurt out that he didn't steal the dog, but only sold him. Upon hearing the story, Danny goes with Rusty to the cabin and apologizes to Bill, explaining that it should have been obvious that Rusty would have never befriended thieves and that he should have trusted Rusty's instincts. He sits down and has a heart-to-heart talk with Bill about personal feelings and the meaning of home. He invites Bill to live with the Mitchells, but Bill says that he has to go the hospital to check on his father. They leave together with Rusty. Later, as the Mitchells discuss Danny's behavior, he returns home and tells them that "Bill is a great guy" and "how wonderful it is to have a permanent address". He goes upstairs and leaves Rusty in Jeff's room. Later that night, Bill arrives with the news that his father's appendix had burst and that he is calling for Jeff to be at his bedside. Running upstairs, Danny discovers that Jeff and Rusty are gone. The Mitchells leave for the hospital, while the two boys look for Jeff. It turns out that Jeff and Rusty went to the cabin to spend the night. In the morning, Miss Simmons arrives with warm cinnamon rolls. She tells Jeff that she also pretends, but in her case, that she has a little boy, just like him. He tells her that he dreams of his real mother singing to him, because his pretend mother can't sing. Miss Simmons then cuddles him in her lap and sings to him "Beautiful Dreamer". Danny and Bill arrive at the cabin and tell Miss Simmons that Virgil is very ill. Jeff awakens and thinks that Danny came to take "Gladly" away, but Danny tells him that "Gladly" is now Jeff's dog. Later, Bill returns with the happy news that their father is better and Jeff, looking at Miss Simmons, tell him that "she can sing just like everything".