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!"