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Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue Keeping Store, a novel by Laura Lee Hope |
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Chapter 12. Watering The Garden |
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_ CHAPTER XII. WATERING THE GARDEN Instantly all the children turned around to look at what Bobbie Boomer was pointing to. And gasps of surprise came from Bunny Brown and Sue, as well as from the other pupils and the teacher. For, standing in the doorway of the classroom, which was on the ground floor, was Toby, the Brown's Shetland pony. He stood there looking in, the wind blowing his fluffy mane and forelock, and his bright eyes looking around the classroom as if for a sight of Bunny and his sister. "Oh, Toby!" cried Bunny. He had spoken out loud in school, but as it was the last day it did not so much matter. "He came to school, just like Mary's lamb!" exclaimed Charlie Star. Fat Bobbie Boomer seemed to be forgotten, but the sight of the pony appeared to have brought back to the little boy's mind the line he had missed. "Which was against the rule!" he suddenly exclaimed. Every one laughed, even Miss Bradley, and she added: "Yes, it was against the rule for the lamb to follow Mary to school, and I suppose it's just as much against the rule for the pony to follow Bunny Brown and his sister Sue." "Please, Teacher, he didn't follow me!" said Bunny. "Nor me!" added Sue. "We didn't know he was coming! He was in the stable when we came from home." This was very true, and they were all wondering how it had happened that Toby had followed the children. It was something he had never done before, and, though he was a great pet, he was not exactly Mary's lamb--he did not follow Bunny and Sue everywhere they went. "Suppose, Bunny, you take Toby out of the room," suggested Miss Bradley, for the Shetland pony did not seem to want to go of his own accord. "Can you manage him?" the teacher asked. "Oh, yes, I can ride home on his back, if you'll let me," said the little boy. "School is almost over for the day, and also for the term," said the teacher with a smile. "You may be excused." But Bunny did not have to leave. For just then in came Bunker Blue, the young man who worked for Mr. Brown at the fish and boat dock. "Oh, you're in here, are you?" asked Bunker, speaking to Toby and taking hold of the thick mane of the little horse. "Did he run away?" asked Bunny of Bunker. "Did he get out of his stall?" "Not exactly," explained the tall young helper. "I was taking him down to the blacksmith shop to have new shoes put on him. I left him in front of the hardware store while I went in to get something for your father, Bunny, and when I came out Toby had slipped from his halter. I didn't know where he was until some one said they saw him come into the schoolhouse." "He hasn't done any harm," remarked Miss Bradley. "How did he get loose from the pony cart?" Sue asked. "He wasn't hitched to the pony cart," answered Bunker Blue. "I was just leading him by the halter, but I guess I didn't have it strapped tight enough. Come along, Toby," he added. "I guess you've said your lessons," and the whole class, teacher and all, joined in the laugh which Bunker Blue started. Toby whinnied, which was his way of laughing, I suppose, and then Bunker Blue led him forth from the classroom. So Bunny didn't have to leave school to ride his pet home, though I believe the little boy would have been very glad to do so--as would, in fact, any boy in the class. "Well, now we will go on with our exercises," said Miss Bradley. "Can you remember your recitation now, Bobbie?" The appearance of Toby seemed to have had a good effect, for Bobbie began again about Mary and her lamb, and gave all the verses, without forgetting a single line. Every one clapped his or her hands when he finished and made his bow. In turn the other children recited. Then came the singing of some songs in which the whole school joined in the big assembly hall, and the "last day," ended. "Now for the long vacation!" cried Bunny Brown, as he raced out of the schoolyard with the other boys. "And lots of fun!" added Charlie Star. "We'll go camping!" said George Watson. "And sail boats!" added Harry Bentley. The girls, too, were no less joyful. They talked of what they would do, of the play parties they would have and of picnics in the woods. "Will you play store any more?" asked Mary Watson of Sue. "Oh, I guess so," was the answer. "Bunny and I like that fun. Bunny wants to keep a real store when he grows up. Sometimes he lifts things down from the shelves for Mrs. Golden in her store." Laughing, shouting, tagging each other, and running away, talking of what they would do during the long vacation, the school children ran on through the streets of Lakeport. "Let's have a race!" cried Bunny. "I can beat you!" declared Charlie Star. Off they ran, feet fast flying, and Bunny was first to reach the hitching post in front of his house, this being the end of the race course for that particular time. "Did Bunker Blue come back with Toby?" asked Bunny of his mother, after he had been given a piece of bread and sugar by Mary. "No," was the answer. "But how did you know Bunker had Toby out? He didn't come for him until after you went to school," said Mrs. Brown. "Oh, Toby came to school!" explained Sue, laughing. "Toby came to school?" repeated her mother. And then the story was told amid much laughter. Just before supper Bunker Blue came back with Toby, and the children were allowed to hitch the Shetland pony to the basket cart. "Do you want anything from the store?" asked Bunny, as he took his seat beside Sue and grasped the pony's reins. "Better ask Mary," was the reply. And, as it happened, Mary wanted some sugar. "We'll get it at Mrs. Golden's," called Bunny, as he drove out of the yard. "My, the children are getting fond of that old lady store keeper," mused Mary, as she went back to her kitchen work. "I'm glad to have them," said Mrs. Brown. "It does children good to learn to be kind and thoughtful toward others. And, from what I hear, Mrs. Golden needs help. Her son works, but does not earn much, and she can't make a very good living from so small a store. We must buy what we can from her." "Trust the children for that!" laughed Mary. "They'd run there all the while if we'd let them. Bunny was telling me Mrs. Golden had something the matter with one of her legs." "Oh, no. He said she expected a legacy," explained Mrs. Brown. "That means she hopes to get a little property or some money from a relative who has died." "Oh, I thought it was her legs, poor old lady!" said Mary. "Rheumatism, or something like that." "Mrs. Golden isn't very well able to get around," admitted Mrs. Brown. "But that has nothing to do with a legacy." Bunny and Sue drove up to the door of the little corner store. "My, but you're coming in style!" exclaimed Mrs. Golden, when she saw them. "Are you going to buy me out?" "No, we just want some sugar," said Bunny. "We're going to get five pounds, 'cause we can carry it in the pony cart." "Yes, if it wasn't for the cart I'd be a bit afraid to give you so much as five pounds," said Mrs. Golden, as she went slowly behind the counter to weigh out the sweet stuff. "You might drop it. But it'll be safe in the pony cart. You'll be like a regular grocery delivery." "Do you deliver things?" asked Sue. "No, dearie. I can't afford to have a delivery wagon and a horse, to say nothing of one of those automobiles. And it wouldn't pay me to hire a boy, even when Philip is away. Sometimes he takes heavy things that are ordered, but mostly folks carry away what they buy. Let's see, now, how many pounds did you say, Bunny?" "Five, Mrs. Golden. And please may I scoop it out of the barrel?" "Well, yes, maybe; if you don't spill it." "I won't spill any!" promised Bunny eagerly. "And may I put it on the scales? You see I'm going to keep a store when I grow up," he went on, "and I'll want to know how to weigh things on the scales." "I hope you make more money than I do," sighed Mrs. Golden. "Now be careful of the scoop, dearie!" Bunny felt quite proud of himself as he leaned down in the sugar barrel and dipped up the sweet, sparkling grains. Mrs. Golden guided his hands as he poured the sugar into the scoop of the scale, and of course she watched to make sure the weight was right, for Bunny was hardly old enough to know that. But he did it nearly all himself, and he told his father so that evening after supper. "My! I'll have to be on the lookout for a vacant place to rent so you and Sue can keep a store during vacation," replied Mr. Brown, laughing. "Oh, we don't want to start a store unless Mrs. Golden gets her legacy so she'll be rich," declared Sue. "If we had a store she wouldn't sell so much and she'd be sorry." "Well, maybe that's so," agreed her father, with a smile. "We'll wait until we find out about the legacy before we start you and Bunny in the store business. When will Mrs. Golden know about it?" "When her son Philip comes back. He's gone to see about the legacy," said Bunny. When they went to bed that night Bunny and Sue talked of what they would do during the long vacation. On account of some business matters, Mr. Brown could not take his family away that summer until about the middle of August. This left them with a good part of the vacation to spend in Bellemere, and the two children were beginning to plan for their fun. One of the first things Bunny found to do the next morning--the first morning of the vacation--was to water the garden. "May I take the hose and sprinkle?" he asked. "If you don't get yourself wet through," his mother answered. "I'll be careful," Bunny promised. There was a vegetable garden at the side of the house, a garden which Uncle Tad had made and of which he was very proud. As there had been no rain for some days the garden was in need of water. The hose was attached to the faucet, for Uncle Tad had been watering the garden the night before, and he had gone away, leaving word that if any one had time to spray more water on the vegetables they should do so, as the ground was very dry. "I like to water the garden," said Bunny, and he took great delight in directing the stream from the hose over the cabbages, beets and potatoes which were coming up. After watering for some time Bunny began to feel hungry, as he often did, and started in to ask Mary for some bread and jam. He laid the hose down, with the water still running, but he turned the stream so it would spray on the grass and not on the garden, so it would not wash out any of the growing things. Bunny was coming out again, with a large slice of bread and jam, when from the front street he heard a man's voice crying: "Here! Look out what you're doing! Be careful with that hose! You're soaking me!" "Oh, oh!" cried Bunny Brown. "Sue must have picked up the hose that I left and squirted water on somebody!" _ |
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