Laura Lee Hope

“ That shell was the make-believe dish of ice-cream, you see.
"Say, dis suah am a funny party," whispered Wopsie to Sue. "I—I don't see nuffin to eat!"
"Hush!" whispered Sue. "You never have anything to eat at a play-party; do you, Bunny?"
"Nope. But when we have one we always go in the house afterward, and mother gives us something."
"Let's watch them play," whispered Sue.
And so, not having found Bunny's kite, he and his sister Sue, and Wopsie, stood by the stoop, and watched the poor, ragged children at their play-party. ”

“ Bunny and Sue were taken through the New York stores by their mother and aunt, and the children saw the many wonderful things Santa Claus's workers had made for boys and girls—dolls, sleds, skates, toy-airships, Teddy bears, Noah's arks, spinning tops, choo-choo cars, electric trains, dancing clowns—little make-believe circuses, magic lanterns—so many things that Bunny and Sue could not remember half of them. ”

“ Hand in hand, Bunny and Sue went to the place in Central Park where the animals are kept. It was not far from where the automobile had stopped, out on Fifth Avenue, New York, and Bunny looked back, several times, as he and his sister went down the steps, to make sure he would know the place to find the automobile again, when he wanted to go home.
"Oh, there's a elephant!" cried Sue, as, walking along, her hand in Bunny's, she saw one of the big animals, just stuffing some hay into his mouth with his trunk. It was a warm day, and the elephant was out in the "back yard" of his cage. ”

“ Bunny and Sue thought for a moment Then Bunny asked:
"Could you keep a monkey, Aunt Lu?"
"Gracious goodness, no!" cried his aunt. "I should hope not! A monkey would be worse than a dog, a cat or a parrot. I hope you don't think of bringing a monkey home, Bunny."
"Oh, no'm. I was just wondering what we'd do if a hand-organ man gave us a monkey."
Mrs. Brown and Aunt Lu laughed.
"Well, I hope a hand-organ man won't give you a monkey," said Bunny's mother, "but, if one does, you'll have to say that you're much obliged, but that you can't keep it." ”

“ Perhaps some of them did not even have money enough to get all they wanted to eat.
"I—I don't like it here," whispered Sue to Wopsie. "Let's go home."
"There's more children here than on our street," said Bunny. "Look at those boys wading in a mud puddle. I wish I could."
"Don't you dare do it, Bunny Brown!" cried Sue. "You know we can't go barefoot in the city. ”

“ You may think it strange that the man on the taxicab automobile would so quickly help Bunny Brown and his sister up into his machine and give them a ride. And that, without asking for any money.
But it was not at all strange in New York. There are many children in that big city, and often they go about by themselves, some who are no larger than Bunny and Sue. They get used to looking out for themselves, learn how to make their way about, and they often go in taxicabs alone. ”

“ What fun we'll have! Oh, goodie! What fun we'll have!" sang Sue, dancing around, holding her doll by one arm.
"And we'll ride in street cars, and on the steam cars," said Bunny, "and I'll see a policeman and a fireman and the fire engines, and we'll have ice cream cones, and—and——"
But that was all the little boy could think of just then, and he had to stop to catch his breath, which had nearly got away from him, he had talked so fast.
"There won't be any horses to ride, and we can't see the ducks and chickens," said Sue, "like we did on grandpa's farm in the country, Bunny." ”

“ I'm sorry you had all this trouble."
"Oh, I don't mind," and Tommie was smiling now. "I'm glad Bunny and Sue had a nice ride."
"And it makes you feel good to give things to people," said Bunny. "I mean it makes you feel good inside." [54]
"Like eating bread and jam when you're hungry," observed Sue.
"No, it isn't like that," said Bunny. "'Cause when your hungry, and you eat bread and jam it makes you feel good here," and he put his hand on his stomach. "But when you make somebody, like old Miss Hollyhock, a present it makes you feel good higher up," and he patted his little heart. ”

“ The automobile came to a stop in front of a large building. Bunny and Sue looked up at it.
"My! What a big house you live in, Aunt Lu!" said Bunny.
"Oh, this isn't all mine!" laughed Aunt Lu. "There are many others who live in here. This is what is called an apartment house. I have my dining room, kitchen, bath room and other rooms, and other families in this building have the same thing. You see there isn't room in New York to build separate houses, such as you have in Bellemere, so they make one big house, and divide it up on the inside, into a number of little houses, or apartments." ”

“ Bunny and Sue had also said good-bye to Uncle Tad, to Mrs. Redden who kept the candy store, and to Mr. and Miss Winkler. Nor did they forget to say good-bye to Wango, the monkey.
"We won't see any monkeys in the city," said Sue.
"Yes we will," cried Bunny. "We'll see 'em in the Zoo. And they have hand-organ monkeys in cities, Sue."
"Maybe they do," she said.
And now, as the two children were riding in the train, they talked of what they saw from the windows, and also of the friends they had left behind in Bellemere, not forgetting Wango, the monkey. ”

“ Gordon. "There isn't any fire around here, or we'd see it."
"Then someone must be ringing the bell for fun," suggested another voice.
"That's daddy," whispered Sue to Bunny.
"Hush!" Bunny said, as he moved around behind Mr. Gordon. He did not want his father or his mother to see him just yet—not until he had found out what made the bell ring.
"It must be some boys doing it just for fun," said another man.
"Then we ought to get the police after them!" exclaimed someone else. "The idea of waking folks up at this hour of the night by ringing a church bell! They ought to be spanked!" ”

“ Pretty soon they were at Central Park.
"Now where shall I take you?" asked the man.
"Down by a elephant," spoke up Sue.
"Are you sure your mother will let you go?" asked the taxicab man. He felt he must, in a way, look after the children.
"Oh, yes," said Bunny. "Mother would let us. She likes us to see animals. She lets us have a circus whenever we like."
Bunny and Sue had on nice clothes, and the chauffeur knew they had come from a street where many rich persons lived, so he was sure if the children did not have with them the money to pay him, that their folks would settle his bill. ”

“ But we won't take him up in the elevator, Sue," Bunny went on.
"Why not?"
"'Cause maybe Henry won't let him come up, same as he wouldn't let the dog we found. We'll walk up the stairs with the man."
"It—it's awful far," said Sue, with a sigh, as she thought of the ten flights. Once she and Bunny, just for fun, had walked up them. It took a long while.
"Well, I'll walk up with the ragged man," said Bunny. "You can ride up in the elevator, Sue, and tell Aunt Lu we're coming, so she can have something to eat all ready." ”

“ The children had had to leave Splash, the dog, home with Daddy Brown, and of course Bunker Blue did not come to Aunt Lu's.
"No, we can't sleep in my auto, nor eat, unless it is to eat candy, or cookies, or something like that," said Aunt Lu. "And I have some sweet crackers for the children, if you think it's all right for them to eat," said Aunt Lu to Mother Brown.
"Oh, yes. I guess it will be all right. They must be hungry, though they ate on the train."
"And Bunny stopped the train, too!" cried Sue. ”

“ But I wish we had our dog Splash here with us, Bunny."
"Yes, it would be fine!" Bunny said.
Speaking of the circus had made Sue think about Splash, who was far away, at home in Bellemere.
The taxicab wound in and out among other cabs, horses and wagons of all sorts. Now it would have to go slowly, through some crowded street, and again the children were moving swiftly, when there was room to speed.
"He's a awful nice man to give us a ride like this," said Bunny to Sue.
"Yes; isn't he?" answered the little girl. "There's lots of people getting rides, Bunny; see!" ”

“ Want to come and look at them? Bring the children!"
"Oh, can we go on the boat?" asked Bunny eagerly.
"I guess so," said Bunker Blue.
He led the children carefully to the deck [9] of the fish boat. Bunny and Sue looked down into a hole, through an opening in the deck. The hole was filled with fish, some of which were still flapping their tails, for they had only just been taken out of the nets.
"Oh-o-o-o! What a lot of fish!" exclaimed Sue. She leaned over to see better, when, all at once, her doll slipped from her arms, and fell right down among the flapping fish.
"Oh, dear!" cried Sue. ”

“ The girl waitress in the restaurant smiled at Bunny Brown and his sister Sue. They seemed too small to be going about, ordering meals for themselves, but then the girl knew that in New York people do not live as they do in other cities, or in the country. Many New York persons never eat a meal at home, nor do their children. ”

“ One day the postman brought another letter from Aunt Lu.
"I can hardly wait for Bunny and Sue to come to see me," said Aunt Lu. "I am sure they will have a fine time in the city, though it is different from the seashore where they live. Bunny will not find any lobster claws here. And my home isn't in the country, either. There are no green fields to play in, though we can go to Central Park, or the Bronx Zoo."
"What's a Zoo?" asked Bunny. "Is it something good to eat?" ”

“ Don't make him go so fast! You'll spill me and Wopsie out!"
"I didn't make him go fast," Bunny answered. "I—I guess he's in a hurry to get away from that dog." [221]
"Make the dog go 'way," pleaded Sue.
Bunny looked back at the barking dog, who was still running after the pony cart.
"Go on away!" Bunny cried. "Let us alone—go on away and find a bone to eat!"
But the dog either did not understand what Bunny said, or he would rather race after the pony cart than get himself a bone. At any rate he still kept running along, barking and growling, and the pony kept running. ”

“ The children are never lost very long. You see they're so little they can't tell where they live, or we'd send them home ourselves. Are any of these the lost children you are looking for?"
"Oh, no! Not one!" exclaimed Mother Brown. It took only one look to show her and Aunt Lu that Bunny and Sue were not among the lost children then in the police station. ”

“ They won't let dogs live in here, he says. Don't they, Aunt Lu?"
"Don't they what, Sue?" asked Miss Baker, coming into the room just then.
"Dogs," answered Bunny. "We found a nice dog, Aunt Lu, and we want to keep him, but Henry won't let us," and he told all that had happened.
"No, I am sorry," said Aunt Lu. "They don't allow any dogs, cats or parrots in this [144] building. You see they think persons who have no pets would be bothered by those animals of the neighbors. I'm sorry, Bunny and Sue, but you can't have the dog. One is enough, anyhow, and you have Splash." ”

“ And, too, Aunt Lu had given him money enough to last him for a few days, until he could find work to earn money for himself.
"But, Bunny and Sue, please don't ask any more ragged men up without first coming to tell me," said Aunt Lu with a smile. "I like to be kind to all poor persons, but you see I live in a house with many other families, and some of them might not like to have tramps come up here. ”

“ Bunny did not answer, but the policeman spoke, and said: [109]
"Is it all right, lady? Does he belong here?"
"Oh, yes, he's my little boy," explained Mrs. Brown.
"He rode down in the dumb waiter," Aunt Lu said. "You see he is visiting me, and he had never seen a dumb waiter before."
"Well, he came down in one all right," said the iceman. "It was like this," he explained to Aunt Lu. "After I sent up your piece of ice, Miss Baker, I stood here talking to the janitor. All at once we heard the dumb waiter come down with a bang, and then we heard someone in it yelling. ”