“I don’t believe that child wants to ride a bit,” laughed Grandmother.  “We might as well go home!” So they turned back the way they had come.

The minute she was out of the car, Mary Jane ran to the rabbit house.  Not a rabbit was there!  Not one of the pretty bunnies she had left snugged up in the corner!

“Grandfather!” called Mary Jane, “Grandmother!  Come quick!  They’s gone!”

“Think of that!” exclaimed Grandfather as he hurried up to see.

“Poor child!  That’s too bad!” cried Grandmother sympathetically as she peered into the empty box.  “Like as not their mother came after them, though how she got them out I don’t quite see.”

“I do,” laughed Grandfather, and he pointed to a hole in the back of the box.  “I guess this wood wasn’t as sound as I thought it was!  Well, if she wanted them that much, I guess she deserves them!  But who’d a thought she’d be so quick!”

“Where are my bunnies?” cried Mary Jane, “where did she take them?” And Grandmother noticed that she was bitterly disappointed.

“Never you mind, pet,” said Grandmother, and she put her arm comfortingly around the little girl.  “They’re not far away, depend on that.  But if you want something to feed and take care of, something all your own—­I’ll get it for you.”

“Will you, Grandmother, really truly?”

“Really truly,” nodded Grandmother, “and you shall keep it in this pretty little house!”

“Goody!” exclaimed Mary Jane, “and will it be pretty like my Easter rabbits?”

“Every bit as pretty,” said Grandmother, “just come with me to see if it isn’t!”

And she took hold of Mary Jane’s hand and together they went toward the chicken house.

MARY JANE’S FAMILY

“Is it a chicken?” asked Mary Jane as she saw the direction they were taking.

“Bless the child!” exclaimed Grandmother, “she can ask questions the fastest!  No, my dear, it isn’t a chicken!  You’d better wait and see.”

“Yes, I’m a-waiting,” said Mary Jane with a tiny sigh, “but I hope it isn’t very long waiting, ’cause I like to see what I’m going to have.”  And she skipped along by her grandmother as fast as she could.

Fortunately it wasn’t very far to the chicken house, so she hadn’t long to wait.  They went in at the front of the house; that was no surprise because Mary Jane had been there every day of her visit.  She looked around quickly but she didn’t see anything new, anything that looked like a surprise.  But Grandmother didn’t stop there; she went on back through a little door Mary Jane had never noticed, and into a room that was nice and warm and had a big desk in it.  Or at least Mary Jane thought it looked like a big desk.  And there wasn’t anything there that looked like a surprise; Mary Jane would have begun to be worried if she hadn’t been so sure Grandmother must know what she was talking about.