and skirts, and teach them to bow. Oh, Anna! Can't we take one out? One
of them is yours, Luretta said so; let us take out your rabbit, Anna."

"But we haven't anything to dress it up in," said Anna, beginning to
think that Melvina was a good deal like other little girls after all.

"Could we not take your rabbit over to my house, Anna? My mother has
gone to Mrs. Burnham's to spend the day, and we could take Trot up to my
room and dress her up and play games. Do, Anna!" urged Melvina.

"It would be great sport indeed," agreed Anna eagerly; "we could call
Trot by some fine name, like Queen Elizabeth, and have your dolls for
visitors."

"Yes, yes, we could! Or play Trot was a lion that we had captured in
Africa. Where is the door to the box, Anna?" and Melvina's dark eyes
shone more brightly than ever as Anna slid back the little door that
Paul had so carefully made, and, after several vain efforts, finally
secured one of the rabbits and quickly wrapped it in the skirt of her
dress.

"Shut the door, Melvina! Quick! or the other will run out," she said,
but although Melvina hastened to obey she was only just in time to catch
the second rabbit in her hands; an instant later and it would have
scampered away free.

"Put your skirt around it. Hurry, and let's run. Mrs. Foster is coming,"
whispered Anna, and the two little girls ran swiftly behind the shed,
holding the trembling frightened rabbits, and then across the fields
toward Mr. Lyon's house. Not until they reached the back door of the
parsonage did either of them remember Luretta, and then it was Anna who
exclaimed:

"But what will Luretta think when she comes home and does not find us,
and sees the empty box?"

"She won't go home for a long time; we will be back and the rabbits safe
in their box by that time," declared Melvina. "We will go up the back
stairs, Anna; and we need not be quiet, for London has gone fishing. We
will have a fine time! Oh, Anna, I am so glad you stopped me that day
when we went wading, for now we are friends," she continued, leading the
way up-stairs.

"But I was horrid, Melvina," Anna said, recalling her efforts to make
Melvina appear silly and ignorant so that Luretta would scorn her.

"No, indeed, you were not," responded Melvina. "When we played on the
shore you made me laugh and run. I never played like that before."

"Well, I think you are real good," said Anna humbly, as she followed
Melvina into a pleasant sunny chamber.