CHAPTER XII
MARGY TAKES A RIDE
This was not the first time Violet had been lost. More than once, evenin her home town of Pineville, she had wandered away over the fields orout toward the woods, and had not been able to find her way back again.But always, at such times, Norah or Jerry Simms, or Daddy or MotherBunker had come to find her and take her home.
"But I don't see any of them now," said Vi, as she gazed around her.There were quite a number of persons on the street, for it was the noonhour, but the little girl knew none of them, and none of them seemed topay any attention to her.
I think, though, almost any one of those who passed by poor little Vi,standing there in the street, if they had known she was lost, would havegone up to her and tried to help her.
But there were many children in the street, and several of them werestanding still, looking not very different from Vi, except that she wascrying--not a great deal, but enough to make her eyes wet.
"I guess I'd better walk along a little," said Vi to herself, after abit. "Maybe I'll see Aunt Jo's house, or Russ or Rose or--or somebodythat knows me."
Poor little Vi, just then, would have been glad to see even Alexis, thebig dog. Alexis would lead her home, Vi felt sure. But the big dog wasnot in sight.
Vi walked a little way down the street, and then a little way up it. Shelooked at all the houses and at every one she met, still holding fast tothe loaf of bread. But she did not see Aunt Jo's house, and she did notknow any of the men or women or boys or girls that passed her.
"Oh, I'm worse lost than ever!" sighed the little girl. "I wonder what Ican do. I'm going to ask some one!"
Now the best way for Vi to have done was to have gone up to one of thehouses and asked where her Aunt Jo's home was. But the funny thingabout it was that Vi wasn't quite sure what her aunt's name was. Her ownname, she knew, was Violet Bunker, but she never spoke of Aunt Jo exceptjust by that name, never using the last part and, while it was the samename as her own, Vi didn't know it. She felt she couldn't very well goup to a house and say:
"Where does my Aunt Jo live?"
The person in the house would be sure to ask:
"What is your aunt's last name, my dear, and on what street does shelive?"
But Vi didn't know that. So you see she was quite badly lost, though shehad only been away from her aunt's home a little while.
And then, as the little girl stood there, the tears coming into her eyesfaster than ever, along came a rather tall girl with a pleasant face,who, as soon as she saw Vi, went up to her and asked kindly:
"What is the matter? Did you lose your money?"
"Oh, no," Vi answered, "I didn't lose my money, but I've lost myself. Ispent the money for bread for Aunt Jo, but I came on the wrong street,I guess, and I don't know where she lives."
"Where who lives?"
"Aunt Jo. I'm one of the six little Bunkers and we're staying at AuntJo's, but I don't know where she lives."
Then this tall, pleasant-faced girl asked, just as any one else wouldhave done:
"What's Aunt Jo's other name?"
And Vi didn't know!
Then the girl tried to get Vi to tell in what sort of house Aunt Jolived, and near what other houses or big buildings it was. But Vi wasonly six years old, and she hadn't noticed much about houses. She hadbeen too busy playing.
"But Aunt Jo has a big dog," said Vi. "He's an awful big dog, and healmost knocks you down when he plays with you. If I could find him he'dtake me home."
"What's the dog's name?" asked the girl.
"Alexis," answered Vi, "and he----"
"Oh, now I know where your aunt lives!" cried the tall girl. "I oftensee that big dog, and I have heard the chauffeur call him Alexis. Iremember it because it's a sort of Russian name, and I like to readabout Russia. Now I can take you home."
"Can you--really?" asked Vi eagerly.
"Surely. I know the very house where Alexis lives, and if you live therewith your Aunt Jo I can take you home. It isn't far; come on. My name isMary Turner, and my mother used to sew for a lady on the same streetwhere your aunt lives. I know the way; come on."
Taking hold of Vi's hand, the kind girl led her along the street, arounda corner and down another block and then Vi cried:
"Oh, now I'm all right. I know where I am now. That's Mr. North's houseand I see Aunt Jo's house and here comes Daddy to meet me!" And surelyenough, along came Mr. Bunker, looking up and down the street for asight of his little girl, who had been gone so long for the loaf ofbread that he knew she must be lost.
"Well, if you're sure you can find your way I'll let you run along byyourself," said Mary Turner.
"Oh, yes, I'm all right now," said Vi. "My father sees me, and he'swaving to me. Thank you for taking care of me."
"I'm glad I could help you a little," said Mary.
"Does your mother sew any more?" asked Vi.
"No," answered Mary, and her voice sounded sad. "She had a great shock,and she's ill in the hospital now. I have to go to work to take care ofher. Well, good-bye, and don't get lost again," and Mary turned down aside street and walked on, waving her hand to Violet.
"Well, little girl, what happened to you?" asked Daddy Bunker, as hewalked up to his daughter. "We were getting worried about you, so I cameout to see what had happened."
"I got lost," Vi answered. "I went down the wrong street, but MaryTurner--she knew where Alexis lived, and she brought me to you."
"Who is Mary Turner?" asked Mr. Bunker.
"That's the nice girl that just went away," said Vi, pointing, for hernew friend was still in sight. "Her mother used to sew for somebody onAunt Jo's street, but she's in the hospital now--I mean her mother is;she's sick."
"That's too bad," said Mr. Bunker. "Aunt Jo might do something for her.But perhaps the girl doesn't like to ask. Anyhow, I'm glad you're notlost any longer. Come along to lunch now."
So that's how Vi was lost and found. And she was soon eating lunch withthe other little Bunkers and telling them what had happened.
"What can we do this afternoon to have fun?" asked Russ, as he got upfrom the table.
"Let's see if we can't make a better harness for Alexis, and have himpull us in the express wagon," suggested Laddie. "I found some strongrope that we can tie on him."
"All right, we'll do that," agreed Russ. "That'll be fun."
"Will you give me a ride?" asked Mun Bun. "I'll help you make theharness if you will."
"Yes, we'll give you a ride," said Russ, "but I guess we can make theharness ourselves. Come on, Laddie."
"I'm going to play with my doll," said Margy. "My rubber doll is alldirty and I'm going to wash her."
"Well, don't turn the hose on her, as Russ and Laddie did to William,"laughed Aunt Jo. "Just wash your doll in a basin of water, Margy dear."
"Yes, I'll do that, Aunt Jo," answered the little girl.
"I'm going to make a new dress for my big best doll Sue," announcedRose. "I haven't got my little Lily to love now, so I'll make Sue looknice. You didn't find my doll that went up in the airship, did you,Daddy?" she asked.
"No," answered Mr. Bunker. "And I don't believe I ever shall."
"And we haven't heard who lost that pocketbook with the sixty-fivedollars in it," said Mrs. Bunker. "It is very strange no one claims themoney."
"Yes," said Aunt Jo, "it is. But some day we may find out who owns it.Though if we don't by the time you folks are ready to go home, it willbelong to Rose, for she found it."
"And then I can buy a new doll," said the little girl.
So, while Russ, Laddie and Mun Bun went to the garage to try to makeanother harness for Alexis, Rose and Margy played with their dolls.Violet said she was tired from having walked around so much when she waslost, though I think it was because she had cried, so her mother put herto bed for a short nap. Then Daddy Bunker went downtown and Aunt Jo andMrs. Bunker sat on the porch sewing.
It was about half an hour after Margy and Rose had begun to play withtheir
dolls, Margy washing her rubber one in a basin of water, thatsomething happened. Margy got up from the side porch where she wassitting with Rose, and said:
"I'm going to dry her now."
"Dry who?" asked Rose.
"My rubber doll," answered Margy. "She's all wet and I'm going to takeher down in the laundry where Parker is, and put my doll by the fire todry."
"All right," answered Rose, "don't burn yourself."
"I won't," said Margy, as she went toward the laundry, which was in thebasement of Aunt Jo's big house.
A little while after this Parker, on going into the kitchen over thelaundry, heard a voice crying:
"Oh, I can't get out! I can't get out! I'm stuck in and I can't getout."
"For land sakes! Who are you, and what has happened?" cried thefrightened cook. "It's one of the six little Bunkers, I know," she wenton, "but what happened?"
"Oh, I went to take a ride," said Margy, "and now I can't get out! Oh,dear!"
And her voice seemed to come from afar.