“You lost it,” said Nannie with scorn. “Why, you never had a bonnet like this in your life.”
“You may keep the bonnet, I don’t want it,” replied Miss Helpful; “but tell me, did you see a little chick?”
Nannie laughed loudly and said:
“Did you lose the chick when you lost the bonnet?”
Then Little Miss Helpful knew that Nannie was making fun of her, so she went quietly on her way and did not answer, while her cousin continued homeward with the beautiful bonnet.
Little Miss Helpful looked everywhere but the chick could not be found, so at last she turned her footsteps home, feeling very sad.
She had almost reached her grandmother’s gate, when she met Johnny Wander, a village lad.
“Have you seen anything of a little chick?” asked the girl, and Johnny rolled his eyes and said he thought he saw a chick running toward the village.
“Perhaps it is mine,” cried Miss Helpful, and she ran toward the village, but not a trace of the lost chicken could be seen. Suddenly she heard a loud trumpet call, and all the people seemed to be hurrying to the village green.
“What is the matter?” asked Miss Helpful of an old woman she met on the way.