One day little Fred’s mother, who had been sick a long time, told him
she was going out with a friend to take a drive. Fred wanted to go, too,
but his mother said there would not be room in the buggy. Fred felt very
cross and unhappy, and sat down on the front steps, ready to cry as soon
as he should see his mother go away.
A buggy came to the gate, and the gentleman who was driving went into
the house. Fred ran out and climbed into the buggy to sit there until
his mother came out.
In looking around he saw there was a wide space under the seat, in which
a boy might hide. He crawled in, thinking he would take a ride, and his
mother would not know it.
He waited a long time, but no one came, and at last he grew tired and
fell asleep.
He was waked by feeling a big jolt, as a wheel of the buggy struck a
stone; but he kept still. After what seemed to him a long time the
buggy stopped and he heard some one taking the horse from the shafts. He
waited until all was quiet, and then crawled out from his hiding-place.
He found it was almost dark, and everything about him was strange. He
was very much frightened, but he jumped down and went to a farm-house
close by. A woman he had never seen before came to the door. When he
told her where he lived she said he was fifteen miles from home, and he
found that he had taken his stolen ride in the buggy of a man who had
called to see his father on business.
It was too late for Fred to go home that night, and he had to stay at
the farmer’s house until the next day. Then he was taken home, and I am
very sure he never tried to steal another ride.