THE LAST DAY
Mrs. Golden was too surprised to do or say anything. She just stood
still, looking up at Bunny. As for the little boy, he had been so
startled that he almost let go his hold on one of the upright pieces of
wood that held up the shelves. But he did not quite unclasp his hand,
and so he clung there. Sue was dancing up and down in her excitement.
Then into the store rushed a big dog, barking and leaping about, his
eyes fixed on that scrambling object in brown fur which had sprung to
the highest shelf.
"Mercy me! What's that?" cried Mrs. Golden.
"It's Wango, Mr. Winkler's monkey," Sue answered.
And that is what it was.
Wango had got loose--nothing new for him--and had wandered out into
the street. There a strange dog, catching sight of the animal, had
chased him. Bunny and Sue knew it was a strange dog, for their own dog,
Splash, and most other dogs in the neighborhood, were used to Wango and
liked him. They seldom ran after him or barked at him. But this was a
strange dog.
[Illustration: "GO ON OUT OF HERE!" SUE ORDERED.
_Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue Keeping Store._ _Page_ 109]
"Go on out of here!" Sue ordered this dog. The animal stood looking from
her to Wango on the high shelf, barking loudly now and then. "Go on out
and let Wango alone!" Sue ordered.
The dog did not seem to want to go, however, and Mrs. Golden was getting
a bit worried. She feared the monkey would leap about and knock down
many things from her shelves.
"Wait a minute," called Bunny Brown. "I've got the pepper. I'll come
down there and make the dog sneeze with it if he doesn't go out."
Bunny started to climb down, but there was no need for him to sprinkle
pepper on the dog's nose to make him sneeze. For just as Bunny reached
the floor in came Jed Winkler himself, looking for his pet monkey. Mr.
Winkler drove out the strange dog, closed the door, and then coaxed
Wango down from the high shelf.
"Did he do any damage, Mrs. Golden?" asked the old sailor. "If my monkey
did any damage I'll pay for it."
"No, he didn't do any harm," she answered. "He just startled us all a
little."
"Wango's a good monkey, but he will run away," said Mr. Winkler, petting
his furry companion. "I'm glad he didn't do any damage. My sister said
he'd be sure to this time, but I'm glad he didn't."
"He's a good climber," said Sue. "If you had a monkey, Mrs. Golden, he
could reach things down from the high shelves for you, when your son
goes off after leg-legacies."
"I'm afraid, dearie, that a monkey would be more bother than he was
worth to me, just to lift things down off high shelves," laughed the old
lady. "Wango is a lively chap, though."
"What's this about a legacy?" asked Mr. Winkler, for he was an old
friend of Mrs. Golden.
"I don't count much on it," she answered. "Philip has gone to see about
it. I got word that an uncle of mine had died and left some money and
property. We may get a share of it and we may not."
"I hope you do!" exclaimed Mr. Winkler. "I most certainly hope you do!"
So did Bunny Brown and his sister Sue, for they were getting quite fond
of Mrs. Golden, and liked to buy things at her store.
When the children were on their way home with the pepper, Mr. Winkler
walking with them part of the way carrying Wango on his shoulder, Bunny
said:
"When I keep a store like that I'm going to have a monkey to reach
things down off the high shelves for me."
"He might get the wrong things," Sue objected.
"Maybe he would first," said Bunny. "But I'd train him. It would be fun
to have a monkey in a store, wouldn't it, Sue?"
"Lots of fun!" agreed Sue.
"My goodness, children!" laughed Mary, as they entered the kitchen with
the pepper, "it took you quite a while, and I was in a hurry. Didn't
Mrs. Golden have any pepper?"
"Yes, but Wango got in the store," explained Bunny. "When I keep a store
I'm going to keep a monkey, too!"
"Bless and save us, what does the child mean?" murmured Mary, but she
did not stop for an answer, as she was in a hurry to get the supper on
the table.
Some days after this, during which time Bunny Brown and his sister Sue
had had much fun with their playmates keeping store and doing other
things, the two children came down dressed to go to school. But they
were singing and laughing in a way they seldom did unless something
different was happening, or going to happen.
"Bless and save us!" exclaimed Mary, as she saw Bunny and Sue start out
of the house hand in hand. "You're very joyful this morning. What's
going on?"
"It's the last day of school!" explained Bunny, laughing still more.
"We'll have hardly any lessons," Sue added. "And when we come home
to-day we don't have to go back to school for a long, long while. It'll
be vacation!"
"Oh, so that's the reason!" laughed Mary. "No wonder you feel so pert
and chipper--no school! Well, have a good time when you're young."
Bunny and Sue certainly had good times if ever children did.
As Sue had said, there were hardly any lessons at school that day.
Reports were to be given out, little gifts were to be made to the
teachers, and there were to be "exercises." That is, the pupils would
recite or sing in their different classrooms.
Bunny and Sue were each to "speak a piece," and they had been preparing
for some time, going over their recitations each night at home to make
sure they would not forget and stumble and halt when they stood on the
platform.
Miss Bradley was such a great favorite with her children that many had
brought her little gifts.
These were placed on her desk, and then, after a few lessons, which no
one took very seriously, Miss Bradley read the class a story. Then came
the speaking of "pieces."
This was always one of the things that took place on the "last day," and
was much enjoyed. No one had to recite unless he or she wanted to, and
so no one was nervous or afraid, except about forgetting the lines.
Sadie West recited a verse about bees and flowers, and very pretty it
was, too. Sue had picked out a funny verse about a little mouse, a trap,
and a piece of cheese. I think most of you know it, so I'll not tell you
about it.
Then came the turn of fat Bobbie Boomer. Bobbie was funny just to look
at, and he was funnier when he got up to recite. He had picked out as
his recitation that old, old poem about Mary and her lamb, for it was
easy for him to remember that.
Now Bobbie had been very sure that he would not forget any of the verses
when he got up on the platform. He had practiced his "piece" at home
over and over until he knew it "by heart," and could almost say it in
his sleep, his father remarked.
But when Bobbie got up on the platform and after he had made a funny,
jerky, fat, little bow, all of a sudden every word of that poem seemed
to slip from his mind! He stood there, looking around the room, now up
at the ceiling and now down at the floor. His face grew red, and he
began pulling at the buttons on his coat.
Miss Bradley felt sorry for him, and she laid her finger over her lips
when she heard some of the children beginning to laugh.
"What is the name of your selection, Bobbie?" the teacher asked kindly.
"It--it's about Ma--Mary and her--her little lamb!"
"That's a cute little poem. Don't be afraid. I'll start you off, and
then perhaps you can remember the rest. Now begin," and Miss Bradley
said the first line.
This helped Bobbie very much, and he got along all right until he came
to the verse about the lamb following Mary to school. Bobbie got as far
as, "It followed her to school one day which was----"
And there poor Bobbie "stuck." He couldn't think what came next.
"It followed her to school one day--school one day--one day," he said
slowly.
"Yes," said Miss Bradley kindly. "And what comes next, Bobbie? Was it
right for the lamb to follow Mary to school?"
Miss Bradley wanted Bobbie to say, "which was against the rule," but
Bobbie couldn't just then remember that. Suddenly his eyes opened wide.
He pointed to the back of the room, where a clattering sound was heard,
and cried:
"Look! Look what's coming in!"