BAD NEWS
The boys and girls, all of whom promised to buy as much as they could
from Mrs. Golden and who also promised to tell their mothers at home
that things could now be delivered from the little corner store, were
bubbling over with fun and good-nature as they left the yard of Bunny
and Sue where the "meeting" was held. But after his playmates had gone
Bunny Brown began to do a little worrying.
"I know Toby will like to deliver groceries and be a pony express," said
the little boy to his sister. "But maybe mother won't let us do it."
"Oh, I guess she will," said Sue.
"I'll ask her, anyhow," decided Bunny, and he did.
Mrs. Brown thought the matter over carefully when Bunny and Sue told her
about it.
"Is Mrs. Golden really in such need of money?" asked Mrs. Brown.
"Oh, yes!" cried Bunny. "She feels so sad when Mr. Flynt comes and says
he's going to close her store. And we'll feel sad if we don't have any
place to go any more and learn how to work in it, Mother! Please let us
take Toby and be a pony express!"
"I'll talk it over with your father," said Mrs. Brown.
The children waited anxiously for what their father should say, and they
were glad when they heard him laugh after Mrs. Brown had spoken to him
of the plan.
"Why, yes," he agreed. "I don't see any harm in it. Toby doesn't get
enough exercise as it is. And Bunny and Sue can manage the little
Shetland very well. The only thing is, I wouldn't want them to drive all
over town delivering groceries--I mean out on the main street where
there are so many autos now."
"Oh, we wouldn't go there!" promised Bunny.
"We might work it this way," went on Mr. Brown. "If there are things to
be delivered on the other side of Main Street I'll let Bunker Blue do
it. He can spare the time once a day. Bunny and Sue can do the rest of
the delivery."
So it was decided, and you can imagine how delighted Bunny and Sue were
when they hastened to tell the good news to Mrs. Golden.
"Why, that's perfectly wonderful!" exclaimed the old lady, and there
were happy tears in her eyes. "Oh, you are two darling children to think
so much of helping an old woman."
"You're not so old," declared Bunny politely. "Besides, we like to keep
store; don't we, Sue?"
"Lots!" answered the little girl.
Bunny and Sue clerked in the store as much as they had time for, but as
they were now to deliver things in the pony cart they could not spend so
much time behind the counter. And Mr. Brown said that Bunny and Sue must
both go in the pony cart, as it would be safer for them that way.
"Sue can hold Toby while you take the groceries into the houses," said
Mr. Brown. "Only you mustn't lift too heavy boxes, Bunny."
"No, Daddy!" he promised. "If it's too heavy I'll lift it twice!" He
meant he would make two trips of it.
Toby was almost as much help to Mrs. Golden as Bunny and Sue had been,
for many housekeepers, when they found they could have groceries
delivered from the corner store, took part of their trade there. And
Bunny and Sue were quite proud to load up the basket cart with boxes and
packages and start out to leave the orders at the different houses.
Mrs. Golden did not grow any younger or more active, and there were
times when she could hardly get around the store. At such times, if
Bunny and Sue had to be out with the pony cart, Charlie Star would come
in and be a clerk.
When things needed to be delivered on the other side of Main Street,
along which many automobiles were driven, then Bunker Blue was called
on. He gladly drove the "pony express" as it was laughingly called, and
many customers were served this way.
But in spite of this increase in trade the worried look did not leave
Mrs. Golden's face, and, more than once, Bunny and Sue again saw her
counting up her money and looking at bills she owed Mr. Flynt.
"Will you have to sell the place now?" asked Bunny one day, coming in
with Sue to help tend store. The two previous days had been busy ones,
when many customers had bought things.
"Well, I don't know about it, Bunny, my dear," was the answer. "More
money is coming in, to be sure, but things cost so much I make hardly
any profit. Things still look black. But don't worry. You and Sue are a
big help. If Philip only gets that legacy, then I'll be all right!"
"I hope he does!" said Bunny Brown.
Several customers came in and the children helped Mrs. Golden wait on
them. Then one woman wanted flour, sugar, and potatoes sent to her house
on the other side of Main Street, a place where Bunny and Sue had never
been.
"But we'll load the things in the pony cart," said Bunny to Sue, "and
drive to our house. Bunker Blue is going to be there, for he's going to
cut the grass, and he can drive across Main Street to Mrs. Larken's
house."
"That will be all right," said Mrs. Golden. "It's very kind of you to
help me this way."
The children started out with Toby, and they were almost at their own
home when they heard a great shouting and racket behind them.
"Oh, Bunny!" cried Sue, "maybe we dropped something out of the cart and
they're calling to us to pick it up."
Bunny gave one look back over the way they had come. Then he pulled hard
on Toby's reins and shouted:
"No, we didn't drop anything, but here comes the fire engine!"
And, surely enough, dashing down the street was the shiny new engine
that had lately been bought for Bellemere.
"Oh, pull over to one side!" cried Sue, clasping Bunny's arm. "Pull over
to one side!"
"I--I'm trying to!" he answered. But Toby did not seem to want to go
over near the curb, and out of danger. Once in a while the Shetland pony
had a stubborn streak, and this was one of those times.
"Get over! Get over there!" cried Bunny, pulling on the reins.
But instead of swinging to the right Toby turned to the left, and down
the street, clanging and thundering came the fire engine.
"Get out the way!"
"Look at those children!"
"Pull over! Pull over!" cried people along the sidewalk.
One or two men ran out to grasp the bridle of Toby and swing him over,
for it seemed that all Bunny was doing had no effect. But before any of
the men could reach the pony Bunker Blue came dashing along. He was on
his way to the Brown house to cut the grass, and he saw the danger of
Bunny and Sue.
"What's the matter with you, Toby? What's the matter?" cried Bunker
Blue. The Shetland pony seemed to know the fish boy's voice, for he
allowed himself to be swung over to the curb and out of danger just
before the fire engine dashed by.
"Oh dear!" sighed Sue.
"Pooh! That wasn't anything!" declared Bunny Brown. "I could have got
him over. And, anyhow, the fire engine would have steered out! But I'm
glad you came, Bunker," he said, for this talk did not seem to show a
kindly feeling toward the fish boy who had been so quick to act.
"Yes, I guess you'd 'a' been all right," said Bunker, with a laugh. "But
that fire engine was going very fast. You've got to be careful of it."
And all the rush and excitement was for nothing, as there was no fire,
the alarm being a false one. Bunker took charge of the pony cart and
delivered the groceries before he cut the grass. Then Bunny and Sue
drove back to the corner store.
They saw Mr. Flynt talking to Mrs. Golden as they entered.
"It's of no use!" the cross man was saying. "I have bad news for you.
You'll have to give up the store, Mrs. Golden."
"Won't your company give me a little more time?" she asked.
"No," said Mr. Flynt. "We've been waiting and waiting, hoping you could
pay. Of course things are better than early in the summer. I guess these
children have helped you a lot," and he looked at Bunny and Sue. "But
you don't take in enough money to pay your bills. If you could pay up
you might get along, for you have a good trade now. But you can't pay
your bills, and so we're going to sell you out!"
"Does that mean close up the store?" asked Bunny timidly.
"That's what it means, little man," was the answer, and Mr. Flynt did
not seem so cross now. Perhaps he was sorry for what he had to do. "Mrs.
Golden will have to give up her store."