THE WRONG STOP

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 33, 2 November 1929, Page 28

THE WRONG STOP

If Sydney, who was on a journey to his grandmother,. had left the bus at. the right stop it would never have pened.'Sydney certainly pulled, the bell: just before the? stop by the road where his grandmother lived, but either the driver did not hear the bell or thought that the next, stop .-would do as well, for he did not pull up, and Sydney had no alternative but to go on to the next 0ne....j “I shall-have to walk back," he said to the conductor as he alighted. “It ififa’t far, my’son,” said the man as he helped him down; and then the bus went on and Sydney started to go. back.

Suddenly'he felt himself clutched by two girls who cried out: “Oh Sydney, we thought you would, never come!” and hurried him up §ome steps info a house oh the main road. It seemed strange. . . “I think-—he began, but the girls Interrupted him. “Don’t say a word. We know you couldn’t help the bus being late,” they said.

“We’ve got your favourite tea all ready and mother is waiting. You see, we had the letter from your mother telling us what you liked to eat, and how we should know you by your clothes, and we didn’t make a mistake, now did we?” “It’s very kind of you,” said Sydney, who was feeling quite bewildered, “but I think you have made ” “Don’t speak! We’ll surprise Mother. She didn’t know we had gone out to meet you,” the girls etied. “I'm afraid,” began Sydney again, but he was not allowed to finish the sentence, for the taller of the girls put her hand over his mouth, while the smaller flung open the door with' a flourish.. .

“Here is Sydney, Mother,” she said Them the three of , them stopped and stared, for the girls’ mother was talking to a boy about Sydney’s age, dressed very much like him. As the door opened and they went, in the boy, was saying, “Yes, Auntie.”' The two girls looked at Sydney in astonishment.

“Who are you, then?” they asked together. “Isn’t your name Sydney?” “Yes,” Sydney replied. “I was trying to explain all the time, only you wouldn’t det me.” And he went on to tell how he had got off the bus at the wrong stop. They all laughed: and the two Sydneys shook hands. The right Sydney explained that he had come earlier than he had expected to, and somehow had managed to miss the girls. And the wrong Sydney had a piece of cake before he went back to his grandmother’s home. So it all ended happily for everyone .concerned.