Mary Jane--Her Visit Part 9

But after Grandfather had helped them out, by their own doorstep, Mary Jane seemed to feel that something must be said so she remarked, "Would you like to see my mice?"

"I thought girls were afraid of mice," replied John.

"Well, I'm not," said Mary Jane scornfully. "Come on see 'em." And she started for the barn.

Strange to relate, they hadn't got half way across the barn yard before the big pig, the same one that had so frightened Mary Jane on her first day, ran out of his pen in the barn and made straight for them.

Grandfather had been in a hurry both times he went for the train and had forgotten to lock him up, most likely. John, who wasn't any more used to creatures than Mary Jane had been, screamed and screamed at the top of his voice.

Mary Jane looked at him scornfully and, forgetting all about how she herself had felt when _she_ first came, said, "He won't hurt you! I'll send him away!" And without a thought of fear, she waved her arms around as she had seen Grandfather do on that first day. Mrs. Pig stopped short as she had for Grandfather, and Mary Jane, delighted with the success she seemed to be having, waved and shouted till Grandfather, hearing the commotion, came running to see what the matter could be.

"Well! Well! Well!" he exclaimed when he reached the barn gate and saw what had happened. "Say I couldn't make a farmer's girl out of you, Mary Jane! I'm proud of you! Isn't she a good one, John?"

John, his eyes round with fear for himself and with admiration for his new little cousin, nodded "Yes."

After that Grandfather stayed around near where they were and helped Mary Jane show John the little pigs, Brindle Bess the cow, and then the baby mice (who soon wouldn't be babies any more, by the way) up in the loft. And of course they went across the road to see the lamb that by now was well acquainted with Mary Jane; and they played with Bob who came frisking to meet them. And last of all they showed John the brand new baby ducks.

"I'd have liked the rabbits best," said John when they had told him about the pets that were found and lost so soon the day before.

"Couldn't we get them back again?"

"Maybe we could, maybe we could," said Grandfather thoughtfully. "We hadn't tried. Maybe that foolish mother took them back to where we got them. 'Twould be just like her. Let's go see."

So with a child on each side of him (just the very thing he liked best too), Grandfather and his guests went back through the cornfield and the pasture lot to where the rabbit nest had been.

"Well," said Grandfather as he bent over the rubbish where the nest had been, "for a boy who had just come onto a farm, you're a pretty good guesser, my son. Look here!" He pulled back the rubbish, just as he had done the day before, and there, before their eyes were the rabbits, five of them, just as soft and just as warm and comfortable as though they had never taken a journey in their lives.

[Ill.u.s.tration: "There, before their eyes were the rabbits, five of them."]

"Didn't they like our house we made for them?" asked Mary Jane.

"'Pears not," said Grandfather. "What do you want to do about it, children?"

"I've always wanted some rabbits in a box," said John, "and I never did have any. I want to feed 'em and watch 'em, you know."

"Yes, I know," agreed Grandfather, but that was all he said.

Mary Jane thought of saying that the box already had a family in it, her family of ducks, but she thought maybe that wouldn't be polite, and anyway, likely as not there were more boxes, so she just kept still, very still.

And while they were all three standing there, wondering, Mary Jane looked up and over in the hedge, she spied the mother rabbit standing partly on her hind feet and looking at them as _hard_!

"Look!" cried Mary Jane, "there's their mother!"

The sound of a voice startled the little mother and she ran away, lipity, lipity, lip; lipity, lipity, lip; such a funny little run! till she reached the shelter of a log. There she waited--they could see the tip, white of her tail through the leaves.

"She's waiting to see what happens to her babies!" exclaimed Mary Jane, and suddenly she made up her mind about rabbit pets. "Let's leave them here, John," she said quickly. "Their mother's lonesome if they go up to the house. Let's leave them here and I'll give you half of my ducks."

"All right," agreed John, "but may I come and see them sometimes, Grandfather?"

"As often as you like. You just let me know and we'll come twice a day," said Grandfather, "and you'll have most as much fun with the ducks, I'll wager. Now let's see if we can't hunt up some dinner."

And they turned to the house.

Such a big day as Mary Jane and John did have! They played and they hunted eggs and they rode on the cow; yes, that can be done, didn't you ever try it? And they fed the chickens, and by night time they were so sleepy and tired they hardly noticed their supper.

But after supper Grandfather sat down to look at his paper. And as he spread it out before him he suddenly chuckled to himself.

"The very thing!" he said, "the very thing! Why didn't I think of that before?" Then he looked over at the droopy-eyed little folks sitting on the window seat. "But I suppose you wouldn't care to go?"

"Go where?" exclaimed both children in a breath. "Where, Grandfather?"

"What you talking about, Father?" asked Grandmother.

Instead of answering, Grandfather pa.s.sed his paper over to her and pointed to where he had been reading.

Grandmother laughed and nodded. "Yes, if you want to," she said, "but they'd better be going to bed in a hurry if they're going to do all that to-morrow!"

"Tell us! Tell us!" cried Mary Jane eagerly.

"Not a word," laughed Grandfather.

"Not a word," insisted Grandmother. "You wouldn't sleep a wink. You just stop thinking about what it is and go to sleep. Father, you take John up and I'll go with Mary Jane."

So without finding out the least thing, for Grandmother wouldn't even answer a question, not one, Mary Jane went off to bed--and to sleep.

GRANDFATHER'S TREAT

It didn't take long to call those children the next morning, you may be sure of that. Just one word and they were up and dressing and more eager than ever to know what Grandfather was planning to do.

"Now will you tell us?" asked John as he ran into the living-room where Grandfather was sitting.

"Not a word till you've eaten your breakfast," replied Grandfather laughingly.

"Not even a hint?" exclaimed Mary Jane as she hurried in, b.u.t.toning her play dress as she came, just in time to hear what her Grandfather said.

"Not even a hint," repeated Grandfather, "not till each of you has eaten your bowl of oatmeal and as much other breakfast as Grandmother says you should."

"Come on, then, John," said Mary Jane practically; "let's eat quick!"

And she lead the way into the dining-room, where Grandmother had the breakfast served and ready to eat.

Never did bowls of oatmeal disappear so rapidly as did those! And when the children had eaten a baked apple, an egg and a piece of toast apiece, Grandmother declared that they had done their full duty and could hear the surprise.

"But I'm not through myself!" exclaimed Grandfather in mock surprise.

"Did you put your breakfast on your chairs? You couldn't have eaten it _this_ soon!" And he pretended to hunt around under the table for the breakfast.

"You know we didn't hide it, Grandfather!" cried Mary Jane; she had been there long enough to get used to Grandfather's teasing so she wasn't puzzled by it as John was. "Now you'll have to tell us, won't he, Grandmother?"

Grandmother nodded and Grandfather got up from his chair and went to the dining-room closet. He rummaged on the shelf a minute and then brought out a big roll of paper. "There!" he exclaimed as he laid it in front of the children, "you may unroll that and see if you can tell what it is? Better lay it on the floor so you don't tip the cream pitcher over."