"Please come to the side door."
Wonderingly the children went along the path to the side door, for the grocery of Mrs. Golden was in an old-fashioned house which had been built over so she could sell things in it. The side door was almost closed, but, though open a small crack, Bunny and Sue did not want to push it open further and go in. Instead they knocked.
"Yes? What is it? Who's there?" called the voice of Mrs. Golden. It was a weak, quavering old voice.
"We're here," answered the little boy. "Bunny Brown and his sister Sue!"
"Oh, my dears! I'm glad it's you and not Mr. Flynt!" said Mrs. Golden. "Push the door open and come in. I have such a dreadful headache that I couldn't keep the store open. I had to come to my room back here and lie down. I just had to close the store!"
The children entered to see their friend lying on a sofa in the room back of the store. She had her head tied in a rag.
"Are you very sick?" asked Sue.
"'Cause if you are I'll go for the doctor," offered Bunny.
"Oh, no, thank you, my dears, I'm not ill enough for that," answered Mrs. Golden. "Just a bad sick-headache. I'll be better to-morrow. But I couldn't keep the store open to-day."
"That's too bad," said Bunny. "We came to get some things," and he took out the list his mother had written for him.