Sue Brown

“ Bunny Brown acted so much like Sam Gordon, the real grocer, and even imitated his talk and manners so well, that Sue felt like laughing. But she knew that if she did so her brother would not play any more, so she kept as straight a face as she could and said:
“Have you any fresh eggs, Mr. Gordon?”
“Oh, yes, Mrs. Anderson, some very fresh ones. They were picked just this morning!”
“Oh, Bunny Brown, you don’t pick eggs! They grow in the chicken coop!” giggled Sue. And Bunny, knowing that he had made a mistake, did not find fault this time with Sue for calling him Bunny instead of Mr. Gordon. ”

“ Brown came out.
"It's of no use to look that way, children," he said. "If Sue's bear is missing some one took it away—it never walked, for it couldn't."
"That's what I said!" cried Sue.
"But how did it get away?" asked Bunny.
"Somebody must have taken it. The same one who took your train of cars. We must look farther off than just around the tent." [Pg 99]
"Say, Daddy, do you s'pose some of the Indians could have done it?" asked Sue in a whisper.
"I hardly think so," answered Mr. Brown. "Still, they are not all as honest as Eagle Feather. We'll have a look around their camp." ”

“ But, as it also happened, Sue was the means by which Bunny's trouble was discovered, though Sue, too, had an accident. Soon after Mart came to the house to help his sister, Sue heard the doorbell ring, and when she went to see who was there she saw Helen Newton, one of her little playmates who was to act in the show with Sue.
"Oh, Sue!" exclaimed Helen, "have you got a doll you could lend me? I have to have one in the play, and the only one I had isn't any good any more."
"Is your doll sick?" Sue wanted to know.
"She's worse than sick," said Helen. ”

“ They were half way across the lake when Sue suddenly cried:
"Oh, there she goes! Oh, she's fallen in!"
"What is it?" asked Mr. Brown, turning around quickly, for he was seated with his back toward his little girl.
"It's my doll!" Sue cried. "She jumped right out of my arms, and fell in the lake." ”

“ Brown was seen setting off toward the village.
"Where are you going, Daddy?" cried Sue.
"Can't you take us with you?" asked Bunny.
"No, I'm going off to see some of the townspeople—the authorities—the head of the poorhouse and others, to find out what right Mr. Bixby has to Tom."
"Oh, if you're going to help Tom that's all right!" said Sue. "We can have some games among ourselves, can't we Bunny?" she added, turning to her brother. [Pg 228]
"Yes, but I wish I had my electric train."
"Well, you can play with the car you found in the hay," said Sue. ”

“ As Bunny and Sue stood beside the track the train started to move, and soon it was pulling away, leaving the two children alone. It was a rather desolate place, with fields on one side and a patch of woods on the other. But as the train clacked on down the track, out of sight, Bunny caught a view of a small shanty, or little house, near the water tank. And as he pointed this out to Sue a man came from the little brown house and looked up and down.
"Oh, there's somebody," Sue cried, almost dropping the kitten in her excitement. "Maybe he can tell us how to get back to mother, Bunny Brown!" ”

“ And it was such a nice, kind, jolly laugh that Sue could not help joining in. So she was really laughing and crying at the same time, which is funny, I suppose you think.
"Well, I'm glad you are so happy to see me, dear," said Aunt Lu. "Oh, don't mind about your dress," she went on, as she saw Sue trying to rub away some of the muddy spots with her tiny handkerchief. "Your mother will know you couldn't help it."
"I'll tell her it wasn't Sue's fault," cried Bunny. "The railroad oughtn't to have puddles where people will fall into 'em!"
"That's right," chimed in Bunker Blue. ”

“ 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. ”

“ And that night was the grand marshmallow candy roast. Uncle Tad built a fire of wood in front of the big tent. When the smoke and the hottest flames had died away Bunny and Sue and the others, sitting on logs around the fire, toasted the candies, holding them over the fire on the pointed ends of the sticks Bunker Blue had made with his sharp knife.
"Oh, aren't they good!" cried Sue, as she began to eat a candy she had roasted.
"Look out! They're hot!" called Uncle Tad. But he was too late.
"Ouch!" cried Sue, as the hot candy burned her tongue, "Oh, it hurts!" she sobbed. "It hurts me!" ”

“ CHAPTER XXI "WHERE IS SUE?"
"Now children, the attic is yours for the day," said Mrs. Preston, after she had led Bunny Brown and his sister into the house, and had helped them get off their wet coats. "You are to do just as you please, for there is nothing in the attic you can harm."
"Oh, won't we have fun?" cried Sue.
"I should say so!" exclaimed Bunny. "Are there any old guns or swords up there we can play soldier with?" asked the little boy.
"Yes, I think so," answered Mrs. Preston. "The guns are very old and can't be shot off, and the swords are very dull, so you can't hurt yourself. ”

“ Brown smiled when she saw this.
"Why, Sue, my dear!" she exclaimed, "What is the matter with your doll? She is 'bleeding' sawdust, as you used to call it."
"Oh, well, Mother, this is just my old doll," Sue answered. "It's the one I let Bunny take to play Punch and Judy show with, and he hit her with a stick, and made her sawdust come out. Did you want me, Mother?"
"Yes, Sue, and I want Bunny, too. Where is he?"
"He was here a little while ago," the brown-eyed girl answered. "But oh, Mother! you're all dressed up. Where are you going? Can't I go with you?" ”

“ 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." ”

“ Sue asked.
"No, dear, not in this rain. Can't you wait until daddy comes home?"
"Yes, but I—I don't want to. Mother."
"Oh, well, we have to do many things in this world that we don't want to. Now go and play with your dolls, or something. I think daddy will be home early to-night, on account of the storm. Then he'll tell you what's in the bundle."
"Does Sam know?" asked Bunny, as he watched the express wagon drive away.
"Perhaps he does," answered Mrs. Brown.
"Then, we can ask him!" exclaimed Sue. "Come on. Bunny!" ”

“ An old woman's troubles aren't for little ones like you."
"My father had troubles once," said Bunny, "and we hugged him and kissed him; didn't we, Sue? That was when there was a fire on his boat dock."
"Yes, we were sorry a lot," Sue replied. "And we're sorry for you now, Mrs. Golden, and I'm going to tell mother to buy all her things here."
"That's very kind of you," said the woman. "But if Philip only gets that legacy I'll have money enough to pay all my debts and a little left over. Now don't worry about me. Try to have a good time. I'll get your candy!" ”

“ Sue said, shaking her head, the hair of which needed brushing, as it had become "tousled" in her sleep.
"Well, mine ran away, in my dream, anyhow!" declared Bunny.
"They can't run up hill, even in dreams," insisted Sue. "Horses have to walk up hill. Grandpa's always do."
"Maybe not in dreams," Bunny said. "And I really did dream that, Sue.
And I'm glad you woke me up, for I want to meet Aunt Lu."
"Then let's hurry and get dressed," Sue went on. "Maybe we can run down to the station before breakfast. Aunt Lu will be hungry, and we can show her the way to our house." ”

“ Sue can sing and I can turn somersaults. Not as good as you, of course," he said to Mart. "And one boy has some trained white mice and if we could get Mr. Winkler's monkey and——"
"And his parrot! He's got a parrot, too!" exclaimed Sue.
"Yes, if he'll let us have the parrot we could have a dandy show!" agreed Bunny.
"I hope it will be a better show than the one we were in," said Mart, with a sad little smile. "It isn't any fun to go traveling with a troupe and then have it 'bust up' on the road as ours did." [Pg 57]
"Aren't you children very young to be traveling alone?" asked Mrs. Brown. ”

“ Bunny and Sue hurried home. They found Mrs. Brown looking up and down the street for them. The other children had gone away.
"Where have you been?" asked Mother Brown. "It is very late for little people to be out alone. And where is my pocketbook and the groceries I sent you for? Where is my pocketbook?" She looked at Bunny and then at his sister, noting their empty hands.
"A big dog ran off with your pocketbook, Mother," explained Bunny. "He jumped into the yard and picked it up off the bench when Sue was teeter-tautering with me. ”

“ Of course I'll come over and see Lucile and Mart, though. I call it 'seeing' them, but of course I can't use my eyes," he added. "However, I've grown used to that, and I don't seem to mind being in the dark."
"You can't ever see anybody make faces at you—if they ever do—can you?" asked Sue, as she patted his hand.
"No indeed!" laughed Mr. Clayton. "I never thought of that. But I suppose some bad people like to make faces at me, and, as you say, if ever they do I sha'n't see them."
"I don't guess anybody would make faces at you when you play on the piano," said Bunny Brown. ”

“ Bunny and Sue had often "played house," and they knew how to make the old blankets, and pieces of carpet they found in the cave, into a sort of bed. It was not so light now, for it was coming on toward night, and the sky was covered with clouds.
"If we shut our eyes and go to sleep we won't mind the dark," said Bunny.
"All right—let's," agreed Sue.
They cuddled up on the bags, their arms around one another, with Sue's doll held close in her hand, while Splash lay down not far from them. ”

“ Bunny and Sue lived with their father and mother in a pretty house in the town of Bellemere. Bellemere was on the seacoast and also near a small river. Mr. Brown was in the boat and fish business, and he owned a dock, or wharf, on the bay and had his office there. He had many men to help, and also a big boy, who was almost a man. The big boy's name was Bunker Blue, and he was very good to Bunny and Sue. Living in the same house with the Browns was Uncle Tad. He was Mr. Brown's uncle, but Bunny and Sue thought they owned just as much of the dear old soldier as did their father. ”

“ Bunny and Sue did not know just what to make of this ragged tramp who was traveling in the freight car with them. It was not, of course, the first time they had seen a tramp—they were plentiful enough around Bellemere at times, and often they had come begging for food at the back door of the Brown house. Bunny and Sue had often seen their mother feed the poor men, and some of them were quite jolly, and joked about their bad luck. ”

“ My, my! but you're little children to have come alone in a freight car."
"We weren't alone," explained Sue. "Nutty was with us." [172]
"Oh, yes, I know that queer tramp," said the water-tank switchman with another laugh. "There's no harm in him, though some of the trainmen put him off when they find him stealing a ride."
"This is his cat," went on Sue, showing the pussy. "Will your dog bite it?"
"Oh, no, indeed!" exclaimed the switchman. "My dog likes cats. In fact, my wife has a cat and I have a dog, and the two animals get along very nicely together. ”

“ Bunny and Sue liked it so much on the plantation, watching the cotton-pickers and occasionally pulling up a few peanuts for themselves, that I think they would have been willing to spend the rest of the winter in that part of the sunny South.
"But my business here is almost finished," said Mr. Brown to his family one evening as they sat in Mr. Morton's pleasant home. "We will soon go on to Florida."
"And eat oranges!" added Sue, for she had often been thinking of that juicy fruit.
"And catch alligators!" exclaimed Bunny. ”

“ Mrs. Brown told me just as I was coming out with the ark. So I came here before going over to East Milford."
"That's what I wanted you to do. I want to ride over with you. I had the men ice the fish, so they'll be all right. Is every one well up at my house—Bunny and Sue?"
"Yes, they're all right," answered Bunker, as Mr. Brown climbed up to the seat of the big auto. "Bunny and Sue wanted to come with me," Bunker went on, "but I didn't know whether you'd want 'em to, so I didn't let 'em come." ”

“ Brown and Mrs. Slater had reached the edge of the clam flats, and they saw that the three children were all right. Harry and Bunny again started to dig for the shellfish and Sue held the basket for them. But she took care to stand on a big flat stone, so there was no more danger of sinking down.
"Mother!" cried Harry, when he saw Mrs. Slater with Mrs. Brown, "digging clams is lots of fun, and Sue got stuck in the mud."
"So we saw," his mother answered. "The seashore is a funny place. You don't seem to know what will happen on land or in the water." ”

“ Bunny and Sue, with their bed-blankets trailing after them, slipped in through the "front door."
Of course, there was not really a "front door" to a tent. There are just two pieces of canvas, called "flaps," that come together and make a sort of front door. Between these white flaps Bunny Brown and his sister Sue went, and they found themselves inside the tent.
"It—it's awful dark, isn't it, Bunny?" whispered Sue, softly.
"Hush!" returned her brother. "We don't want them to see us. It will be light pretty soon. Sue." ”