“No, you won’t have to do that,” said the merchant.  “You know there’s a big loft over my store, don’t you?”

“Yes, but I thought you had that piled full of things,” said Mr. Brown.

“Well, it was, but it’s partly cleaned out now,” was the answer.  “I’m going to clean out the rest, and you can have that place for your show, and welcome.  It won’t cost you a penny for rent.”

“Oh!  Oh!” Bunny Brown and his sister Sue fairly squealed in delight.

“I’m glad you like it,” said Mr. Raymond with a smile.  “I was up in my attic, as I call it, the other day, and after I got to thinking about cleaning it out I thought of you children and your show.  I heard some one say that Mr. Brown couldn’t get just the place that would suit, so began to measure around, and I think mine will do.”

“I’m sure it will,” said Mrs. Brown.

“But is there a stage and are there seats for the audience?” asked Mart, who was the first to think of these things.

“No, there isn’t a stage, nor yet any seats,” said Mr. Raymond, and at hearing this Bunny and Sue looked disappointed.  But they brightened up when Mr. Raymond went on with a smile: 

“I’m going to build a stage in the place, and also put in seats.  It’s about time we had, in this town, some place where little shows and entertainments can be given.  The town hall is too small, and the Opera House is too big.  I’m going to make mine in-between.”

“Like the big bear and the little bear and the middle-sized bear!” laughed Sue.

“That’s it,” said Mr. Raymond.  “I expect to make some money by renting out my hall after I get it fixed up.  But I’m going to let you folks have it for nothing this time,” he was quick to say.  “It will advertise the place, and people will know about it.  So now if you’d like it I’ll go ahead and fix up the stage and the seats, and as soon as it’s ready you can move your scenery in and have your show, Bunny Brown.”

“Will it be ready in time for a Christmas entertainment?” asked Lucile.

“Oh, yes, I’ll see to that!” promised Mr. Raymond.

“Well, I’m sure we can’t thank you enough,” said Mr. Brown.  “I had promised the children a place for their show, but I was just beginning to think I couldn’t find one.  This will be just the thing.”

“And Mr. Raymond can come to our play for nothing!” cried Bunny.

“Yes, I think that’s the least we can offer him,” laughed Mrs. Brown.

There was great excitement in town the next day, especially among the boys and girls, when it became known that a new hall was to be built over the hardware store, and it can be easily believed that Bunny, Sue, and their friends who were to be in the play, “Down on the Farm,” were more excited than any one else.

While they waited for Mr. Raymond to have his “attic,” as he called it, cleaned out and the stage built and seats put in, Bunny and Sue, with Mart and Lucile, had plenty of fun, as well as some work.  For it was work to get up a play, as the children soon found out.  Mr. Treadwell did his part, in writing the different parts the boy and girl actors were to speak, but the boys and girls themselves had to learn them by heart, and it was not as easy as learning to speak a “single piece” for Friday afternoon at school.