e wet and draggled friends
of hers coming into her house.]

ON ACCOUNT OF THE BUNNIES.

BY EMMA C. DOWD.

Pauline looked through the picket fence and scowled.

"Oh, those poor little rabbits!" she whispered to herself. "I don't
believe that boy has fed them this morning. And now he's gone off to
play ball. It is a shame!" She glanced under the grape arbor, where some
chickweed was growing luxuriantly, and for a minute she hesitated. The
next, she was down among the chickweed, pulling it up by the handful.

She approached the fence again, looked cautiously around, to make sure
nobody was in sight, and then thrust the green stuff between the
pickets.

That first time of Pauline's feeding the rabbits was followed by a
second and a third, and finally it came to be a common thing for her to
peer through the fence to see if they were supplied with food, and if
not to carry them a good meal.

One morning Pauline was feeding them with celery tips, and, having
become a bit careless, stopped to see them enjoy their feast. When she
looked up she was disconcerted to see their owner watching her--only a
few feet away.

"I beg your pardon," she began, hesitatingly, "but I just thought I'd
bring your rabbits a little celery." And she turned to go.

[Illustration: John discovers Pauline feeding his rabbits.]

"Oh--I say--wait a minute!" he returned, as her foot touched the fence.
"So it's you that's been feeding them, is it? The fact is, I--forgot,
you know."

"I did feel sorry to see them hungry," confessed Pauline; "and I love
pets."

"Say, you may have a couple of 'em, if you want," he said generously.

"And I'll help you fix a pen," he added.

"Oh, thank you! I'd like them ever so much!" beamed Pauline. And there
was the beginning of a firm friendship between the small neighbors.

Pauline was to be satisfied with no such little makeshift as John gave
his own pets. Only the biggest sized dry-goods box would do for the
house itself, and the yard that he helped to fence off with wire netting
made him look disgustedly upon the tiny space allotted to the bunnies on
his side of the pickets.

When at last, Pauline's rabbits were in their new quarters. John gazed
at them thoughtfully.

"Say!" he suddenly burst out. "I'm going to have just such a place for
mine--big yard and all!"

"Oh, and I'll help you!" cried Pauline.

The new pen brought about other improvements. Tangled weeds and rubbish
heaps seemed m