As Mrs. Bradford was leaving the hotel to do this, the colonel and Mrs. Rush drove up. In two minutes they had heard all that was known, and the colonel said he would himself go to the station.
The station to which Bessie had been taken was not the one nearest to Mr. Bradford's house; and it was to the latter that the colonel drove first. He did not find his lost pet there, of course; but he heard that a telegram had come sometime since, saying that a stray child was at the station in —— Street, and there he went as fast as his horse's feet could carry him.
We left the little girl who had caused all this commotion sitting upon the knee of the kind sergeant of police, while he coaxed her to tell him the story of her troubles, in the hope that he might find out where she belonged.
"You don't look big enough for such a many troubles," he said; "now let's hear about them, and see what we can do. What was the first one?"
"First Maggie had a earache and cried; and then mamma had a committee, and had to leave us; and then I could not find nurse, and Flossy yan away," said Bessie; and the poor child began to cry again at the thought of Flossy.
"And who is Flossy?" asked the sergeant.
"He is our puppy that Donald gave us,—Maggie's and mine."
"And who is Maggie?"
"My own sister; don't you know that?"