A Game of Hide-and-Seek.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXI, Issue VI, 8 August 1903, Page 425

A Game of Hide-and-Seek.

AND HOW PHYLLIS COULDN’T BE FOUND.

"Well, of all horrid days this is the horridest!” cried Rita discontentedly, as she looked out of the window into the wet streets. "Oh, it’s perfectly disgusting!” agreed Ted. “And just on a half-holiday, too,” grumbled Phyllis. “Why, what a sad-looking trio!” said mother, coming into the room just then. • What ever’s the matter?” “Well, we wanted to go out, and can’t, because of the hateful rain!” cried Ted. “Never mind, you shall go and play at hide-and-seek all over the house if you like, instead.” “Oh, how splendiferous!” shouted Rita, "tupping!” echoed Ted. “You are a darling!” said Phyllis, hugging her mother. “And may we go everywhere ?”

“Yes, you can go everywhere, except in the servants’ rooms and the lumberloom. But you’re not to go there.” “All right, we won’t. Come on!” And oil' scampered the three children, highly delighted at the idea. The game continued merrily for some time, and, wonderful to relate, not a Single squabble occurred. Presently the clock struck four, and Ted said, as he tried to brush some of the dust off his jacket, “Tea’s at halfpast four, so this is the last turn, ’cause we must tidy up a bit. You two girls go and hide, and I’ll ‘find.’ ” “One, two, three,” began Ted, with his eyes shut; and then, arriving at hundred, he shouted “Coming!” and darted off to find his sisters.

After much stealthy creeping about, and going on all-fours, Ted discovered Rita under her mother’s bed, and pulled her out, with a shout of glee. “Now for Phyllis!” cried he, and started off in another direction.

Every nook and cranny was searched, every cupboard thoroughly ransacked; but it was no good; Phyllis could not be found.

“Oh, Rita, do come and help look! I simply can’t think where she’s got to!” cried Ted, in desperation. His sister willingly went with him, and together they poked their noses into every corner capable of holding a much less substantial person than Phyllis. But it was no good, and at half-past four they made a wild rush for the bathroom, gave their hands and faces a perfunctory “lick” under the tap, smoothed their hair with the hall clothes-brush, and went into tea with their mother. “Why, where’s Phyllis?” asked she. “Oh, we can’t find her anywhere,” answered Ted; “so we thought we’d better give it up, and she’d come out of her hiding place.” “Yes, and we called and called, blit she simply wouldn’t answer,” said Rita. “That’s very funny,” said mother. “I wonder where the child can have hidden ?”

Ten minutes passed, and still no Phyllis appeared, and mother began to get anxious.

“Surely the silly child knows that you’ve finished the game, and isn’t still hiding in some stuffy cupboard?” “Oh, no! We looked in every corner of the house —even in the cellar; but she wasn’t there.” Just then the kitchenmaid came in, with a rather scared face. “Oh, please mum, do come upstairs! There’s such a funny noise coming from the lumber-room!” Mother started up from her chair, and ran quickly out of the room up to the top landing, where the servant’s room and lumber-room were situated. On opening the door she heard a funny sort of halfsobbing noise coming from the other end

of the lumber-room, and called out “Phyllis! Phyllis!” A louder cry came this time, and mother then thought the sound eanie from a very big oak ehest in the far corner. Ted and Rita had rushed upstairs, coo, and soon had the lid of the oak chest undone. There, crouched down, with her little white face all stained with tears, was poor Phyllis, hardly able to move; but, oh! so thankful to see mother’s face. “Well,” began Phyllis, “I couldn’t find a good place to hide in—and I quite forgot you said we were not to go in the lumber-room—so I crept into the oak ehest and shut down the lid; and when 1 tried to get out I found I couldn’t lift it.

and although I shouted and shouted no one came.”

"Poor little girl!” said mother. “Of course you couldn’t undo the lock, be cause it shuts with a spring; and I am very thankful that there were some holes to let in the air, or it might have made vou verv ill.”

"Poor old girl!” said Ted. sympathetically.

"And 4 it hadn’t been for Jane hear ing you when she went up to her room 1 don’t know when we should have found you,” added Rita. “ ’cause we never thought you’d go in the lumber-room.” “No; and 1 never will again.” said Phyllis, as her mother kissed her.