CHAPTER X
AN AFTERNOON WALK
At the turn by the blacksmith shop Mr. Weston said good-bye, and Annawent on alone to Luretta's home. The front door was open, and before shereached the house she heard someone crying, and when she stood on thedoorstep she realized that it was Luretta, and that Mrs. Foster wasendeavoring to comfort her.
"The rabbits are much happier to be free to run back to the woods.Perhaps by this time they have found their mother, and are telling alltheir adventures to their brothers and sisters," she heard Mrs. Fostersay.
"But Danna and Melvina may have taken them," sobbed Luretta; and thenAnna rapped at the door.
"Come in," called Mrs. Foster, and Anna, a little timidly, entered thesitting-room.
Luretta looked up, but did not speak.
"Come right in, Anna," said Mrs. Foster pleasantly. "Luretta has badnews for you; the rabbits are gone."
Anna did not look up, and there was an uncomfortable silence for amoment. Then she began her story:
"If you please, Mistress Foster, I am sorry I broke my promise to youthis morning. You bade me to wait with Melvina by the big log, and I didnot."
"You came and took my rabbits," wailed Luretta, "and I s'pose you gaveone to that stuck-up Melvina."
Anna nodded. "Yes, I did take them; but I meant to bring them back,Luretta, truly I did. But they got away."
A fresh wail from Luretta made Anna look pleadingly up at Mrs. Foster,whose eyes rested kindly upon her.
"Luretta, stop thy foolish crying," said Mrs. Foster, "and let Anna tellyou all the story of the rabbits." Then she rested her hand on Anna'sshoulder and said kindly:
"I am glad, Anna, that you and Luretta are friends, for thou art a braveand honest child. Now, I must attend to my work, and I will leave you,"and the two little girls found themselves alone in the room.
Luretta was sitting in the big cushioned wooden rocker, with her facehidden against the back. Anna was standing in front of her, trying tothink of something to say that would make Luretta forgive her. Then sheheard Luretta's half-smothered voice say: "Do you s'pose our rabbits didfind their mother?"
"I don't know, Luretta, but I only meant to let Melvina play with them.We--I took them out and carried them over to Melvina's house and wedressed them up in doll's clothes----"
"Yes? Yes? And what else?" asked Luretta eagerly, now facing about andforgetting all her anger in hearing what Anna had to tell. So Anna wenton and described all that had happened, imitating London's cry of terrorat the sight of the "white witches." At this Luretta began to laugh, andAnna came nearer to the big chair, and even ventured to rest against itsarm.
"Luretta, let's you and I go up the trail toward the forest. Perhaps wemight find Trit and Trot," she suggested.
Luretta was out of the chair in a moment; and, quite forgetting all heranger toward Anna, she agreed promptly and the two little girls, handin hand, came into the kitchen and told Mrs. Foster their plan.
She listened smilingly, but cautioned them not to go beyond the edge ofthe forest.
"You might meet some animal larger than a rabbit," she warned them;"'tis the time when bears are about nibbling the tender bark and buds ofthe young trees; so go not into the wood. Beside that a party of Indianswere seen near the upper falls yesterday."
"But the Indians come often to the village, and do no harm," said Anna.
But Mrs. Foster shook her head. She remembered that the Indians couldnot always be trusted. The little girls promised to follow the trailonly to the edge of the wood, and started soberly off.
"We might see Trit and Trot behind any bush, might we not?" suggestedLuretta hopefully.
"Perhaps we might see a little baby bear! Would it not be fine if wecould catch two little bears instead of rabbits?" responded Anna, asthey climbed the hill, stopping now and then to pick the tender youngcheckerberry leaves, or listen to the song of some woodland bird. Agroup of young spruce trees stood beside the trail, and here the twolittle girls stopped to rest. The sun was warm, and they both were gladto sit down in the pleasant shade.
They talked about the _Polly_, wondering when she would come to port,and then their thoughts went back to their lost pets.
"I do think you ought not to have taken them from the box. I am surePaul will not like it when I tell him they are gone," said Luretta.
Anna's face grew grave. "Must you tell him?" she asked.
"Of course I must. He will bring home young leaves and roots for themto-night, and what will he say!" and Luretta's voice sounded as if tearswere very near.
While Luretta spoke Anna's eyes had been fixed on a little clump ofbushes on the other side of the trail. The bushes moved queerly. Therewas no wind, and Anna was sure that some little animal was hiding behindthe shrubs. Greatly excited, Anna leaned forward, grasping Luretta'sarm.
"Look! those bushes!" she whispered.
At that moment a queer ball of dingy white appeared on the oppositeside of the trail, and instantly Anna sprang toward it. Her handsgrasped the torn and twisted piece of floating cloth, and closed uponthe poor frightened little creature, one of the lost rabbits, nearlyfrightened to death by the strange garment that had prevented hisescape.
If he could have spoken he would have begged for the freedom that hisbrother had achieved; but he could only tremble and shrink from thetender hands that held him so firmly.
In a moment Anna had unfastened the doll's skirt, and Trit, or Trot, wasonce more clear of the detested garment.
"Oh, Danna! Do you suppose we can take it safely home?" exclaimed thedelighted Luretta.
"Just see how frightened he is," Anna responded. Somehow she no longerwished to take the little creature back and shut it up.
"Do you suppose its mother is trying to find it?" she continuedthoughtfully.
"And would it tell its brothers and sisters all its adventures, just asMother said?" questioned Luretta.
"Why not?" Anna's brown eyes sparkled. "Of course it would. ProbablyTrot is safe home by this time, and all the rabbit family are lookingout for Trit."
Anna looked hopefully toward Luretta. If Trit went free it must beLuretta's gift. Anna felt that she had no right to decide.
"Let him go, Danna," said Luretta softly; and very gently Anna releasedher clasp on the soft little rabbit. It looked quickly up, and with abound it was across the trail and out of sight.
Both the girls drew a long breath.
"I will tell Paul about Trit's mother and brothers and sisters," saidLuretta, as they started toward home. "Probably he will laugh; but Iguess he will say they ought to be free."
Both Anna and Luretta were very quiet on the walk home. Anna began tofeel tired. It seemed to her that a great deal had happened sincemorning. She remembered the liberty pole, with a little guilty sense ofhaving been more interested in the rabbits, and in Melvina and Luretta,than in the safety of the emblem of freedom. But she was glad thatLuretta was no longer angry at her.
"You don't care much about the rabbits, do you, Danna?" Luretta asked,as they stopped near Luretta's house to say good-bye.
"I am glad they are free," replied Anna. "It would be dreadful to havegiants catch us, wouldn't it?"
Luretta agreed soberly, thinking that to the rabbits she must haveseemed a giant.
"Father will say 'twas best to let them go, whatever Paul says," sheadded, and promising to meet the next day the friends parted.
Anna danced along the path in her old fashion, quite forgettingMelvina's measured steps. Everything was all right now. She and Lurettawere friends; Mrs. Foster had pardoned her; and the liberty pole wasfound. So she was smiling and happy as she pushed open the door andentered the pleasant kitchen, expecting to see her mother and Rebby; butno one was there. The room looked deserted. She opened the door leadinginto the front room and her happy smile vanished.
Her mother sat there, looking very grave and anxious; and facing thekitchen door and looking straight at Anna
was Mrs. Lyon, while on astool beside her sat Melvina, her flounced linen skirt and embroideredwhite sunbonnet as white as a gull's breast.
Anna looked from one to the other wonderingly. Of course, she thought,Mrs. Lyon had come to call her a mischievous girl on account of therabbits. All her happiness vanished; and when her mother said: "Come in,Anna. Mrs. Lyon has come on purpose to speak with you," she quite forgotto curtsy to the minister's wife, and stood silent and afraid.