Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue | Page 4

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