The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-06-26

Mamma, whereas Poly?'' cried a
child's voice as "a little girl OF about nine
years old burst into the room where Mrs.
NIngohn was reading. The lady loUke ed
up and smiled. polly" she said, has
gone out for ride with some friends
Did you enjoy yourself, \ Ellen2' &
well. l guess / did exclaimed Ellen.
her. face bcamlng with excitement as she
careiessly threw her dainty hat OH the
sofa "and I'm s,ire,H she added soberly,
II would have enjoyed 1t twice as much
II Poll had only been along. Then she
sat down on a little stool by her mot =
er's side ana said And who do YOU
guess has come now?' They were stay
ing in the country at q fashionable hotel
and the children. Ellen and Polly, We're
getting acquainted with all the boarders.
I'm sure / can't guess. Anyone that
We know Ellie?" Mrs. Nagoiin asked as
she put her book on the table, In not
going to tell You, until, but--here &she
stopped. for Folly, coming into the room
just then, called her attention togsomc-
thing else. "lust see what have here
Ellen. a poor baby rabbit. Wasn't It a
warm day for It to come out to walk =
Yes indeed Where did you find him.
'Tolly?" asked Ellen, gently stroking the
trembling creature. You see" said Pol
ly putting the rabbit ON the sofa and
sitting down by it. so 1t would not es-
cape, Julia May and Emma and were
out riding when Julia cried, Il believe
and hurried to the spot and sure enough
there was a poor frightened baby bunny
all tangled up in vine and making des-
perate efforts to free itself. Oh ex-
claimed Mrs. Mngofin and Ellen. We'll.
I took him in my arms and asked them
| which one wanted him, and none Of them
! cared to bother with him. so brought
him home. Can keep him, rnother2" as
the bunny gave leap and went flying
beneath the sofa. Polly had been so
busily engaged in talking that she did not
hold the rabbit as tight as she should
have held him Both children fell on
their knees and began calling, bunny,
bunny, bunny" The little rabbit ran
from underneath the sofa and shot across
the room, then round and round, and al
last after hard struggle. IT was caught
do you want to keep him Elem ask
ed Polly
Eyes indeed! Polly Prim, don't believe
you caught that rabbit II was all
could do to catch him" exclaimed Ellen
hreathelessly, Ellen had the rabbit by
its ears and was holding ii tight. she
had caught it just then
"I'd have caught him then, but you
jumped in front of me and caught him
yourself" answered Polly quickly Just
then little tap at the door ended their
found some little girls who declared that
Ellen must come out and play. "Oh yes"
said Ellen, Polly you ought to have
been with us! Didn't we have fine
time, Luz" "oh didn't we?' said Lu.
"and Julia and Emma and May are GO
ing with us Tomorrow on flower hunt.
They told me to ask you to go, too. It's
going to be q regular picnic we are go
Ing to spend the day. Will you go with
us, Polly?'' Polly readily said yes,
and on meeting Emma and May and Julia
that evening she said "Oh, girls. won't
we have q glorious time? Ill take an
extra biz, bunch and you all do the same,
then we can start early ana leave la.e
and do nothing all day but play games,
hunt wild flowers and have IL good time
In general" The girls smiled and thought
N. CHAPTER II.
''Well. Polly" said Ellen the next morn
ing, when Mrs Magofin was packing me
lunch into their lunch basket. Il think
we will have a fine time to-day Don
you?"
Polly was stroking the poor rabbit.
~ think we will. With n big lunch and
n nice cool. shady place In the WOODS
and plenty OF flowers to hunt and, maybe
some blackberrics and then we might be
able.to kill n snake or two said Polly
merrly.
ooh, Polly! exclaimed iIlieh' III u's-
NAV. "po you think we will meet any
snakes, sure enough?'
"Oh,r don't think So And If we do
Julia will kill them, Julia kills snakes
fine" and Polly tossed her head In an
amusing way
Mama" she said, changing the sub
jcct in an abrupt way, II think 1t would
he good plan to leave the little rabbit
at the very place found him. We can't
keep him. anyhow and 1t would do just
as well TO give 1t back to its mother"
"Oh yes, ] think So too" answered
her mother, while Ellen who had n deer
sense OF imagination, exclaimed "oh
YES! And 1t will tell its mother and
father and sisters ana brothers that 1t