“Bless and save us, what does the child mean?” murmured Mary, but she did not stop for an answer, as she was in a hurry to get the supper on the table.

Some days after this, during which time Bunny Brown and his sister Sue had had much fun with their playmates keeping store and doing other things, the two children came down dressed to go to school.  But they were singing and laughing in a way they seldom did unless something different was happening, or going to happen.

“Bless and save us!” exclaimed Mary, as she saw Bunny and Sue start out of the house hand in hand.  “You’re very joyful this morning.  What’s going on?”

“It’s the last day of school!” explained Bunny, laughing still more.

“We’ll have hardly any lessons,” Sue added.  “And when we come home to-day we don’t have to go back to school for a long, long while.  It’ll be vacation!”

“Oh, so that’s the reason!” laughed Mary.  “No wonder you feel so pert and chipper—­no school!  Well, have a good time when you’re young.”

Bunny and Sue certainly had good times if ever children did.

As Sue had said, there were hardly any lessons at school that day.  Reports were to be given out, little gifts were to be made to the teachers, and there were to be “exercises.”  That is, the pupils would recite or sing in their different classrooms.

Bunny and Sue were each to “speak a piece,” and they had been preparing for some time, going over their recitations each night at home to make sure they would not forget and stumble and halt when they stood on the platform.

Miss Bradley was such a great favorite with her children that many had brought her little gifts.

These were placed on her desk, and then, after a few lessons, which no one took very seriously, Miss Bradley read the class a story.  Then came the speaking of “pieces.”

This was always one of the things that took place on the “last day,” and was much enjoyed.  No one had to recite unless he or she wanted to, and so no one was nervous or afraid, except about forgetting the lines.

Sadie West recited a verse about bees and flowers, and very pretty it was, too.  Sue had picked out a funny verse about a little mouse, a trap, and a piece of cheese.  I think most of you know it, so I’ll not tell you about it.

Then came the turn of fat Bobbie Boomer.  Bobbie was funny just to look at, and he was funnier when he got up to recite.  He had picked out as his recitation that old, old poem about Mary and her lamb, for it was easy for him to remember that.

Now Bobbie had been very sure that he would not forget any of the verses when he got up on the platform.  He had practiced his “piece” at home over and over until he knew it “by heart,” and could almost say it in his sleep, his father remarked.

But when Bobbie got up on the platform and after he had made a funny, jerky, fat, little bow, all of a sudden every word of that poem seemed to slip from his mind!  He stood there, looking around the room, now up at the ceiling and now down at the floor.  His face grew red, and he began pulling at the buttons on his coat.