“Shut the door, Melvina! Quick! or the other will run out,” she said, but although Melvina hastened to obey she was only just in time to catch the second rabbit in her hands; an instant later and it would have scampered away free.
“Put your skirt around it. Hurry, and let’s run. Mrs. Foster is coming,” whispered Anna, and the two little girls ran swiftly behind the shed, holding the trembling frightened rabbits, and then across the fields toward Mr. Lyon’s house. Not until they reached the back door of the parsonage did either of them remember Luretta, and then it was Anna who exclaimed:
“But what will Luretta think when she comes home and does not find us, and sees the empty box?”
“She won’t go home for a long time; we will be back and the rabbits safe in their box by that time,” declared Melvina. “We will go up the back stairs, Anna; and we need not be quiet, for London has gone fishing. We will have a fine time! Oh, Anna, I am so glad you stopped me that day when we went wading, for now we are friends,” she continued, leading the way up-stairs.
“But I was horrid, Melvina,” Anna said, recalling her efforts to make Melvina appear silly and ignorant so that Luretta would scorn her.
“No, indeed, you were not,” responded Melvina. “When we played on the shore you made me laugh and run. I never played like that before.”
“Well, I think you are real good,” said Anna humbly, as she followed Melvina into a pleasant sunny chamber. “Most girls would have been angry when their fine clothes were spoiled; and you were punished too, and I was not;” and Anna looked at Melvina admiringly, thinking to herself that she would do anything that Melvina could ask to make up to her for that undeserved punishment.
“You will have to hold both the rabbits while I get my dolls,” said Melvina; and Anna’s attention was fully occupied in keeping the two little creatures safe and quiet in the folds of her skirt, which she held together bag fashion, while Melvina drew a large box from the closet and took out three fine dolls.
Anna gazed at the dolls admiringly. Each one wore a gown of blue silk, and little shirred bonnets to match. Melvina explained that they, the dolls, all wanted to dress just alike.
“We will put these on Trit and Trot,” she said, drawing out two white skirts from her collection of doll clothes. “And see these little white bonnets!” and she held up two tiny round bonnets of white muslin; “these will be just the thing.”