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BUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTER SUE
BUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTER SUE LAURA LEE HOPE Illustrated by
Florence England Nosworthy
NEW YORK
1916
CONTENTS
CHAPTER
I. AUNT LU ARRIVES
II. THE LOST RING
III. WANGO THE MONKEY
IV. THE EMPTY HOUSE
V. LOCKED IN
VI. ADRIFT IN A BOAT
VII. BUNNY GOES FISHING
VIII. SUE FALLS IN
IX. THE RESCUE DOG
X. A TROLLEY RIDE
XI. LOST
XII. FOUND
XIII. SUE AND THE GOAT
XIV. A LITTLE PARTY
XV. GEORGE WATSON'S TRICK
XVI. THE LEMONADE STAND
XVII. THE MOVING PICTURES
XVIII. WANGO AND THE CANDY
XIX. BUNNY IN A QUEER PLACE
XX. SPLASH RUNS AWAY
XXI. HOW SUE FOUND THE EGGS
XXII. AUNT LU IS SAD
XXIII. AN AUTOMOBILE RIDE
XXIV. THE PUNCH AND JUDY SHOW
XXV. THE LOBSTER CLAW
CHAPTER I
AUNT LU ARRIVES
"Bunny! Bunny! Wake up! It's time!"
"Wha--what's matter?" sleepily mumbled little Bunny Brown making his
words all run together like molasses candy that has been out in the hot
sun. "What's the matter Sue?" Bunny asked now that he had his eyes
open. He looked over the side of his small bed to see his sister
standing beside it. She had left her own little room and had run into
her brother's.
"What's the matter Sue?" Bunny asked again.
"Why it's time to get up Bunny" and Sue opened her brown eyes more
widely as she tried to get the "sleepy feeling" out of them. "It's time
to get up!"
"Time to get up--so early? Oh Sue! It isn't Christmas morning; is it
Sue?" and with that thought Bunny sat up suddenly in his bed.
"Christmas? No of course not!" said Sue who though only a little over
five years of age (a year younger than was Bunny) sometimes acted as
though older than the blue-eyed little chap who was now as widely awake
as his sister.
"Well if it isn't Christmas and we don't have to go to the
kindergarten school 'cause it's closed why do I have to get up so
early?" Bunny wanted to know.
Bunny Brown was a great one for asking questions. So was his sister Sue;
but Sue would often wait a while and find things out for herself
instead of asking strangers what certain things meant. Bunny always
seemed in a hurry and his mother used to say he could ask more
questions than several grown folks could answer.
"Why do you want me to get up so early?" Bunny asked again. He was wide
awake now.
"Why Bunny Brown! Have you forgotten?" asked Sue with a queer look in
her brown eyes. "Don't you remember Aunt Lu is coming to visit us to-
day and we're going down to the station to meet her?"
"Oh yes! That's so! I did forget all about it!" Bunny said. "I guess it
was because I dreamed so hard in the night Sue. I dreamed I had a new
rocking-horse and he ran away with me up-hill--"
"Rocking-horses can't run away" Sue said shaking her head the hair of
which needed brushing as it had become "tousled" in her sleep.
"Well mine ran away in my dream anyhow!" declared Bunny.
"They can't run up hill even in dreams" insisted Sue. "Horses have to
walk up hill. Grandpa's always do."
"Maybe not in dreams" Bunny said. "And I really did dream that Sue.
And I'm glad you woke me up for I want to meet Aunt Lu."
"Then let's hurry and get dressed" Sue went on. "Maybe we can run down
to the station before breakfast. Aunt Lu will be hungry and we can show
her the way to our house."
"That's so" agreed Bunny. "But maybe we'd better take a piece of bread
and butter down to the station for her" he added after thinking about
it for a few seconds.
"Or a piece of cake" added his sister.
"We'll take both!" exclaimed the blue-eyed chubby little chap. Then he
began to dress. Sue who had gone back into her own little room had
almost finished putting on her clothes but as her dress buttoned up
the back she had to come in and ask Bunny to fasten it for her. This he
was ready to do as soon as he had pulled on his stockings and little
knickerbockers.
"Shall I start at the top button or the bottom one Sue?" he asked as
he stood behind his sister.
"It doesn't matter" said Sue "as long as you get it buttoned. But
hurry Bunny. We don't want the train to get in and Aunt Lu get off
with us not there to meet her. Hurry!"
"All right--I will" and Bunny began buttoning the dress. But soon a
queer look came over his face. "Aren't you done?" asked Sue as he
stopped using his fingers.
"Yes I'm done Sue but I've got two buttons left over and there's
only one buttonhole to put 'em in! What'll I do?" Bunny was quite
puzzled.
"Oh you must have buttoned me wrong Bunny" Sue said. "But never mind.
Nobody will notice so early in the morning. Now come on down stairs and
we'll get the bread and cake."
The children went to the dining room where the table was set for
breakfast and Sue was cutting off a rather large slice from a cake she
had found in the pantry while Bunny was putting twice as much butter on
a slice of bread as was needed when their mother's voice exclaimed:
"Why Bunny Brown! Sue! What in the world are you children doing? Up so
early too and not properly dressed! Why did you get up? The idea!"
"We're going to the station" Sue said. It really was her idea. She had
thought of it the night before when their mother had told them her
sister (the children's Aunt Lu) would arrive in the morning. "We're
going to the station" said Sue.
"To meet Aunt Lu" added Bunny.
"And we're taking her some cake so she won't be hungry for breakfast"
went on Sue.
"And bread" Bunny continued. "Maybe she don't like cake so I'm taking
bread."
"If she doesn't eat the cake we can" Sue said as if that was the
easiest way out.
"Of course" Bunny echoed.
Mrs. Brown sat down in a chair and began to laugh. She had to sit down
for she laughed very hard indeed and when she did that she used to
shake in such a jolly fashion that perhaps she would have fallen if
she had not been sitting in a chair.
"Oh you children!" she said when she had wiped the tears from her eyes
with the corner of her apron. She was not exactly crying you know. Only
she laughed so hard that tears came into her eyes. "You queer dear
little children!" she said. "What are you going to do next?"
"Why we're going to the station as soon as I get the bread buttered
and Sue puts the cake in a bag" Bunny said. He did not seem to feel
that anything was wrong.
"Oh my dears Aunt Lu's train won't be in for some time--two or three
hours" said Mrs. Brown. "And you know I've told you never to go down to
the station alone."
"Couldn't you come with us?" asked Sue eating a few of the cake crumbs.
"Or maybe papa" added Bunny. "If he can't Bunker can. Bunker knows the
way to the station."
"And Bunker likes cake too" Sue said. "We might give him a piece if
Aunt Lu doesn't want it."
"No no! You musn't give away my cake like that" said Mrs. Brown. "Now
listen to me. It will be hours before Aunt Lu will get here. Then
perhaps I may take you to the station to meet her. But now I must dress
you right and give you your breakfast. Papa had his some time ago as he
had to go down to the bay to see about some boats. I wondered why you
were getting up so early. Now put back the bread and cake and wait until
I give you something to eat."
A little later rather disappointed at not being allowed to go off alone
to meet their aunt Bunny and Sue sat at the breakfast table.
"I wish the time would hurry up and come for Aunt Lu to be here" Bunny
said.
"So do I" chimed in Sue. "What fun we'll have when Aunt Lu comes."
"Indeed we will!" Bunny exclaimed.
Bunny Brown and his sister Sue lived with their father and mother Mr.
and Mrs. Walter Brown in the town of Bellemere. That town was on
Sandport Bay which was part of the Atlantic Ocean and the bay was a
good place to catch fish lobsters crabs and other things that live in
salt water.
Mr. Brown was in the boat business. That is he owned many boats some
that sailed some that went by steam or gasoline and some that had to
be rowed with oars. These boats he hired out or rented to fishermen
and others who had to go on the bay or even out on the ocean when it
was not too rough.
Mr. Brown had a number of men to help him in his boat business; and one
of the men or rather an extra-large size boy was Bunker Blue of
whom Bunny and Sue were very fond. And Bunker liked the two children'
fully as much as they liked him. He often took them out in a boat or
went on little land-trips with them. Mr. and Mrs. Brown did not worry
when Bunny and Sue were with Bunker.
The two Brown children were good company for each other. You seldom saw
Bunny without seeing Sue not far away. They played together nearly all
the while though often they would bring other children to their yard
or would go to theirs to play games and have jolly times. Bunny was a
boy full of fun and one who sometimes took chances of getting into
mischief just to have a "good time." And Sue was not far behind him.
But they never meant to do wrong and everyone loved them.
Uncle Tad lived with the Browns. He was an old soldier rather stiff
with the rheumatism at times but still often able to take walks with
the children. He was their father's uncle but Bunny and Sue thought of
Uncle Tad as more their relation than their father's.
In the distant city of New York lived Miss Lulu Baker who was Mrs.
Brown's maiden sister and the Aunt Lu whom the children were so eagerly
expecting this morning. She had written that she was coming to spend a
few weeks at the seashore place and later on she intended to have
Bunny and Sue and their mother visit her in the big city. Bunny and Sue
looked eagerly forward to this. But just now they wanted most to go to
the depot and watch for the train to come in bringing dear Aunt Lu to
them.
"Isn't it most time to go?" asked Sue as she pushed back her chair from
the breakfast table.
"Oh no not for a long while" said their mother. "You run out and
play and when it's time I'll call you."
"And can't we take Aunt Lu anything to eat?" asked Bunny.
"Oh dear me no!" laughed Mrs. Brown. "She won't want anything until she
gets here. Run along now."
Bunny and Sue went out in the yard where they had a little play-tent
made of some old pieces of sails from one of Mr. Brown's boats. It was a
warm spring day and as Bunny had said there was no kindergarten
school for them to go to as it had closed to allow a new roof to be
put on the school building.
"Let's go down and see Wango" suggested Sue after a bit.
"No because it's so far away that mother couldn't call to us" objected
Bunny. "We'll stay here in the yard until it's time to go to the train."
"All right" agreed Sue.
Wango was a queer little monkey belonging to Jed Winkler an old sailor
of the town. I'll tell you more about Wango later.
Bunny and Sue played a number of games and after a while a boy named
Charlie Star and a girl named Sadie West came over from across the
street and joined Bunny and Sue in their fun. Then a little later Mrs.
Brown came to the door and said:
"Come now Bunny--Sue! It's almost train time. I can't go with you but
I'll let Bunker take you. I telephoned down to the dock and daddy is
sending him up with the pony cart. You may drive down to meet Aunt Lu.
But come in and wash first!"
"Oh goodie!" cried Bunny and he was so pleased at the idea of going to
the depot in the pony cart that he did not make a fuss when his mother
washed his hands and face.
"Hello Bunker!" cried Sue as the big red-haired lad drove up.
"Hello Sue! Hello Bunny!" he greeted them. "Hop in and away we'll go!"
Off they started to the station. It was not far from the Brown home and
soon with the pony safely tied so he would not run away Bunny Sue
and Bunker waited on the platform for the cars to arrive.
With a toot a whistle and a clanging of the bell in puffed the train.
Several passengers got off.
"Oh there she is! I see Aunt Lu!" cried Sue darting off toward a lady
in a brown dress.
"Here come back!" cried Bunker reaching out a hand to catch Sue. He
was afraid she might go too near the train. But he was too late. Sue
raced forward and then suddenly she slipped and fell right into a
puddle of water left from a rain-storm the night before. Down into the
muddy pool went Sue all in her clean white dress.
"Oh--Oh!" gasped Bunny.
"I might a'knowed suthin' like that would happen" complained Bunker.
"Now her ma'll blame me!"
Aunt Lu saw what had happened and before any one else could reach Sue
she had picked up the little girl in whose eyes were tears all ready to
fall. And with her handkerchief Aunt Lu wiped the tears away. As she did
this Bunny saw a ring on his aunt's hand--a ring with a stone that
sparkled like snow in the sun--red green golden and purple colors.
"There Sue! Don't cry!" murmured Aunt Lu. "You're not hurt and the mud
will wash off."
"Oh I--I'm not crying for that" said Sue. bravely keeping back her
sobs. "I--I'm crying just--just because I'm--I'm so glad to see you!"
CHAPTER II
THE LOST RING
Aunt Lu laughed when she heard Sue say that. And it was such a nice
kind jolly laugh that Sue could not help joining in. So she was really
laughing and crying at the same time which is funny I suppose you
think.
"Well I'm glad you are so happy to see me dear" said Aunt Lu. "Oh
don't mind about your dress" she went on as she saw Sue trying to rub
away some of the muddy spots with her tiny handkerchief. "Your mother
will know you couldn't help it."
"I'll tell her it wasn't Sue's fault" cried Bunny. "The railroad
oughtn't to have puddles where people will fall into 'em!"
"That's right" chimed in Bunker Blue. "It ought to be filled up with
dirt and then it wouldn't hold water. You're to ride back with us in
the pony cart Miss Baker."
"Oh so you drove over for me; did you? That's very nice" said Aunt Lu
with a smile. "My! How large Bunny has grown!" she went on as she bent
over and kissed him having already done that to Sue when she wiped
away the little girl's tears.
"I'll go and get the cart" Bunker said.
"Yes and I think I'll take Sue inside the station and see if I can get
a towel to clean off the worst of the mud stains" said Miss Baker.
"She can sit away back in the pony cart and I'll sit in front of her
so nobody will see the dirt on her dress" offered Bunny.
"That's very kind of you" his aunt remarked. "We'll be all right soon.
Bunker will you see after my trunk please?" she asked as she gave him
the brass check. "It can be sent up later" she went on "as I guess
there is hardly room for it in the pony cart."
"No'm not scarcely" answered Bunker with a smile that showed his big
white teeth. "I'll have the expressman bring it up or I can come down
for it later" and he went away to the baggage room.
The ticket agent in the station gave Aunt Lu a towel with which she
took some of the dirt from Sue's dress. The little girl was smiling now.
"I like you Aunt Lu" she said. "We're awful glad you came and you'll
play with us; won't you?"
"Oh yes of course dear. Well what is it Bunny?" she went on as she
saw the little boy looking closely at her hands. "Do you see something?"
Aunt Lu asked.
"It--it's that" and Bunny pointed to the shining ring.
Aunt Lu's eyes sparkled almost as brightly as the glittering stone in
the ring and her cheeks became red.
"I know what it is--it's a diamond!" exclaimed Sue. "Isn't it Aunt Lu?"
"Yes dear."
"Did you find it?" asked Bunny. "Or did you dig it out of a gold mine?"
"Diamonds don't come from gold mines; they make 'em out of glass!" said
Sue.
"Yes they do dig 'em; don't they Aunt Lu?" insisted Bunny.
"Yes dear they do dig them."
"Where did you dig it?" Sue wanted to know. Perhaps she hoped she could
dig one for herself.
"I did not dig it" their aunt said. "It was given me by a very dear
friend. I love it very much" and she held up the diamond ring so that
it sparkled more than ever in the sun.
"Well Sue" she went on as she finished scrubbing away at the muddy
dress. "I think that is the best I can do. It will need washing to make
it clean again. But here comes Bunker with the pony cart so we will
start for your house. Your mother will be wondering what has become of
us."
Aunt Lu had been on a visit to the Brown's several times before and as
she sat in the pony cart with the children with Bunker driving she
bowed to several persons whom she knew and who knew her. There was Mr.
Sam Gordon who kept the grocery Jacob Reinberg who sold drygoods and
notions and little Mrs. Redden who kept a candy and toy store.
"Stop here a minute Bunker" said Miss Baker when the pony cart
reached the toy store. "I want to get something for Bunny and Sue."
"Candy?" asked Bunny eagerly.
"Yes just a little" his aunt answered and soon Bunny and Sue were
nibbling the sweets Mrs. Redden brought out to them.
Just as he had said he would do Bunny sat in front of his sister so no
one would see her soiled dress. But Sue did not much mind about it now.
Her mother only said she was sorry when she heard about the accident
and did not blame her little daughter.
Mrs. Brown and her sister were glad to see one another and after Aunt
Lu had taken off her hat and was seated In the cool dining room
sipping a cup of tea Bunny called to her:
"Aunt Lu won't you come out and play with us?"
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