took his pet out
to the tank in the barn. "I carried Judy in my pencil box, but I didn't
know it."

Bunny went back to school and finished his lessons. And all the
remainder of the day, when the pupils had a chance to speak, they talked
of nothing but Sadie West, the "mouse" and Bunny's pet alligator. It was
very exciting, all together.

When Bunny and Sue reached home that afternoon they found their mother
on the steps waiting for them.

"I'll take your books," she told the children, "and I want you to go to
the store for me. Mary started to bake a cake and found, at the last
moment, she was out of baking powder. I want you to go for a box. You
needn't go all the way to the big store. Stop at the little one on the
corner--Mrs. Golden's, you know. She sometimes has the kind I want. Go
to the corner store and get the baking powder."

"All right!" exclaimed Bunny, and he and Sue hurried off. They knew
where Mrs. Sarah Golden's little corner store was located--just a few
blocks from their home, much nearer than the big store where Mrs. Brown
generally traded. Bunny and Sue had been in Mrs. Golden's store before,
but not often, as it was rather out of the way, and such a small place
that Mrs. Brown was afraid things would not be as fresh as at the larger
grocery. Besides groceries, Mrs. Golden also kept "notions"--that is,
pins, thread, hooks and eyes, and things like that. She also had candy
and a few toys for sale.

"Her store isn't much bigger than our play store was, is it?" asked
Bunny of Sue, as they reached Mrs. Golden's.

"Not much," agreed Sue. "Didn't we have fun when we played store?"

"Lots!" agreed Bunny. "And didn't the boiler make a big racket when it
fell down?"

He and Sue laughed at remembering this, but their laughs died away as
they entered the little corner store and heard groans coming from behind
one of the counters. Groans and sighs greeted the children as they
opened the door. No one was in sight.

"Oh, Bunny!" exclaimed Sue, frightened, "what you s'pose has happened?"

CHAPTER V

A NEW PUPIL

Though Bunny Brown and his sister Sue had not often bought things in
Mrs. Golden's store, they knew the woman who kept the place, and she
knew them, for she often called them by name as they passed when she was
out in front. But now Mrs. Golden was not in sight, though the groans
that came from behind one of the counters seemed to tell that she was
there.

"Oh, Bunny, I'm afraid!" whi