"Most girls would have been angry
when their fine clothes were spoiled; and you were punished too, and I
was not;" and Anna looked at Melvina admiringly, thinking to herself
that she would do anything that Melvina could ask to make up to her for
that undeserved punishment.

"You will have to hold both the rabbits while I get my dolls," said
Melvina; and Anna's attention was fully occupied in keeping the two
little creatures safe and quiet in the folds of her skirt, which she
held together bag fashion, while Melvina drew a large box from the
closet and took out three fine dolls.

Anna gazed at the dolls admiringly. Each one wore a gown of blue silk,
and little shirred bonnets to match. Melvina explained that they, the
dolls, all wanted to dress just alike.

"We will put these on Trit and Trot," she said, drawing out two white
skirts from her collection of doll clothes. "And see these little white
bonnets!" and she held up two tiny round bonnets of white muslin; "these
will be just the thing."

The rabbits submitted to being dressed. Both the girls were very gentle
with them, and gradually the little creatures grew less frightened.
Neither Anna nor Melvina had ever had such delightful playthings before.
The rabbits were Queen Elizabeth and Lady Washington, and the dolls
came to bow low before them. The time passed very rapidly, and not until
London was seen coming toward the house to prepare the noonday meal did
the little girls give another thought to Luretta. Melvina, glancing from
the window, saw London coming up the path with his basket of fish. She
was holding Lady Washington, and for a second her clasp was less firm,
and that was enough. With a leap the rabbit was through the open window,
the white skirt fluttering about it. Anna, starting up in surprise, let
go Queen Elizabeth, who followed Lady Washington through the window so
closely that it was small wonder that London dropped his basket of fish
and ran back a few steps with a loud cry. After a few scrambling leaps
the rabbits disappeared, and London, trembling with fright, for he
believed that the strange leaping creatures dressed in white must be
some sort of evil witches, picked up his basket, and shaking his head
and muttering to himself, came slowly toward the house.

"And there comes my father, and Luretta is with him," exclaimed Melvina.
"What shall we do, Anna? And what will Luretta say when we tell her
about the rabbits? Come, we must be at the fr