"THEY'RE GONE"
The pony cart, which generally stood in the middle of the barn floor
next to the stall of Toby, the little Shetland, had been rolled back out
of the way, and in its place stood what first seemed to Sue and Bunny to
be a large box. But when they looked a second time, they saw that the
box was fastened on a large sled--larger than either of their small
ones.
"What are you makin'?" asked Sue.
"Oh, something to give you and Bunny a pony ride," answered Mart.
"Oh, it's a pony sled, isn't it?" cried Bunny.
"Well, yes, something like that," was the answer, given with a smile.
"There wasn't much to do down at the dock to-day, so your father let me
off early. On my way home I saw this large sled at Mr. Raymond's store.
It was broken, so he let me buy it cheap. I brought it here, mended it,
and fastened on it this drygoods box. Lucile helped me, and she lined it
with an old blanket your mother gave us. Now what do you think of your
sled?" and Mart stepped back out of the way so Bunny and Sue could see
what he had made.
"Oh, it's just--just dandy!" cried the little boy.
"And it's a real seat in it!" exclaimed Sue.
"Yes, we took a smaller box and put it inside the large one for a seat,"
explained Lucile. "Now don't you want to go for a ride?"
"I--I--oh, it's dandy," cried Bunny, his eyes round with pleasure.
"See," went on Mart, "I am going to take the thills off the pony cart
and fasten them on this sled. Then you can hitch up the Shetland and go
for a ride."
"Oh! Oh!" squealed Sue, in delight, as she jumped up and down on the
barn floor.
"Say, this is more than dandy!" cried Bunny. "It's _Jim Dandy_!"
He went closer to look at the home-made sled while Mart took the shafts
from the pony cart and fastened them on the dry goods box at a place he
had made for that purpose.
"Why, there's room for all four of us in the sled!" said Bunny, as he
noticed how large the box was. "And our pony can pull four. He's done
it lots of times."
"Well, then I guess he can do it on the slippery snow," said Mart.
"We'll come if you want us to, Bunny."
"Of course I want you!" said the little boy.
"And Lucile, too!" added Sue, for she was very fond of the singing girl
actress.
"Yes, I'll come," said Lucile. "But if you drive, Bunny, you must
promise not to go too fast."
"Oh, I'll go slow," he agreed.
"Maybe the snow'll stop and then we can't go riding," Sue said.
"Oh, go and look and see if it has!" cried her brother. "That would be
too bad, wouldn't it, to have the snow stop after Mart had made such a
fine sled?"
But a look out the window of the barn showed the white flakes still
swirling down, and Bunny and Sue laughed and clapped their hands in
delight as Mart brought the pony from his stall.
Everything was just right. The pony backed in between the shafts, and
soon drew the new sled outside where the newly fallen snow let it slip
easily along.
"It will look nicer when it's painted," said Mart.
"I think it's nice now!" said Bunny.
"Terrible nice!" agreed Sue.
"Well, get in, and we'll have a ride," suggested Lucile. "Can you drive,
Bunny?"
"Oh, yes!" was the answer; and Bunny soon showed that he could by taking
the reins and guiding the pony around to the front of the house.
"Come on out, Mother, and see what we have!" cried Sue, as Bunny stopped
the little horse.
"Oh, isn't that just fine!" laughed Mrs. Brown, as she came to the door.
"What a nice surprise for you children! Did you thank Mart and Lucile
for making it?"
"I--I guess we forgot," said Bunny. "But we're glad you live with us,"
he said to the boy actor and his sister.
"So are we!" laughed Lucile. "This is more fun than going about from one
place to another, and traveling half the night."
"I'm glad, too," said Sue. "Now let's go for a ride."
And they did, down the village street, stopping now and then to let some
of their boy or girl friends look at the new pony sled Mart had made
from an old drygoods box and the broken "bob" from the hardware store.
The white flakes sifted down, like feathers from a big goose flying high
in the air, the bells on the Shetland pony jingled, and Bunny and Sue
thought that never had they been so happy.
The snow lasted several days, and each day after school Bunny Brown and
his sister Sue went for a pony ride in the jolly sled. Mart had painted
it a bright red, and it really looked very nice.
"That boy is handy with tools," said Mr. Brown to his wife one day, when
they were talking about Mart and wondering if he and Lucile would ever
find their relatives. "If he'd like to stay with me he would be good
help around the boats in the summer. He and Bunker Blue are good
friends, and one helps the other."
"Lucile is good help around the house," said Mrs. Brown. "I'd love to
have them with me always, but of course if they have relatives it would
be better for them to live in their own home. Do you think the
children's play will be nice?"
"Oh, I'm sure it will. Mr. Treadwell says they are doing nicely. I don't
suppose they will make much money, but they'll have the fun of it, and
it is good for children to try to help others, as Bunny, Sue, and their
friends are hoping to help the Home for the Blind."
"It's too bad about Mart's blind uncle, isn't it? Do you think he'll
ever be found?"
"Well, we can only hope," said Mr. Brown.
Though Bunny and Sue had fun in the snow and on the ice they did not
forget to practice for the new play, nor did the other children. One
afternoon all the little actors and actresses were assembled in the new
hall over the hardware store. A rehearsal was going on, and nearly all
the mothers of the children were there, as Mr. Treadwell had asked them
to come so he might talk to them about the costumes that had to be made
for the little girls and boys.
Just after the second scene, which took place partly in the barnyard,
and partly in the barn itself, Will Laydon came walking out to the
middle of the stage where Mr. Treadwell stood.
"They--they're gone!" exclaimed Will, seemingly much excited.
"Just a moment," said the actor, who was talking to Mrs. Brown. "I'll
attend to you in a minute, Will."
"But they're gone!" exclaimed the boy, and Mrs. Brown and the other
ladies turned to look at him in some surprise. "My white mice got out of
their cage just now," said Will, "and they're running all over. My white
mice are loose!"