"

"Oh, he's all right," said her husband. "It's early yet, even if it is
dark, and maybe he went out to play in the snow, though of course he
shouldn't at this hour."

"It's snowing, too," said Mrs. Brown, as she stood in the back door
beside her husband. "Snowing hard! There's going to be a big storm, and
if Bunny is out in it--I wish Bunny would not do such things!"

"Oh, will he get freezed?" cried Sue, her eyes opening big and round.

"No, dear, he'll be all right," replied her mother. "But he must be
found."

"Maybe he went out with Bunker Blue," suggested Mart.

Bunker Blue, the boy, or rather, young man, who worked for Mr. Brown at
the fish and boat dock, had been at the house shortly after supper, and
later had said he was going back to the office to make sure it was
locked, for it would not be open on Christmas Day.

"Perhaps Bunny did go back with Bunker," said Mr. Brown. "Though he
shouldn't have done that. But he was so excited about the play there is
no telling what he might do."

"Bunker ought to be at the office about this time," said Mrs. Brown,
looking at the clock. "Call him on the telephone," she begged her
husband, "and ask him if Bunny is there. I hope he is."

Bunker Blue answered the telephone a few minutes later, when Mr. Brown
had called him on the wire.

"No, Bunny didn't come out with me," said Bunker. "But I saw him in the
kitchen with his cap, coat, and rubber boots on when I left. He seemed
to be getting ready to go out."

"Then he's gone off somewhere without telling us anything about it!"
cried Mrs. Brown. "Maybe he went over to Charlie Star's house, to make
sure there would be enough tickets for the show. Oh, I wish he hadn't
gone out!"

"I can telephone to Mr. Star and ask," suggested Mr. Brown. But when he
had done this, and no Bunny Brown was there, they all began to get
quite excited.

"I'll get on my coat and rubbers and go out with you," said Mart, as Mr.
Brown began to put on his overcoat. "He might be in the barn, practicing
some of the tricks he is going to do in the play to-morrow."

"Oh, I don't believe Bunny would go out to the barn alone after dark,"
said Mrs. Brown.

Her husband and Mart were just starting out into the storm to look for
the missing Bunny when the tramp of feet was heard on the porch.

"Here comes somebody!" cried Sue. "I hope it's Bunny!"

But it was not. Instead it was Bunker Blue, and he was covered with snow
flakes. His nose was re