BOB'S TRUST

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXV, Issue 2, 10 January 1907, Page 37

BOB'S TRUST

1 Bob ! 80-o-ob ! Robert !' It was mother calling from the back porch, and Bob, who had been^ cooking up a perfectly glorious plan for the afternoon, left RoyWhite reluctantly and went to see what has mother wanted.

Mother was standing on^ the porch dressed for a walk. ' Boh, dear, I've just had -word that Mrs. Holbrook has been taken very ill. -I "must go to her at once ; she is all alone, and there is no one to whom she can turn. You will take care of Rose, won't you, Bob ? -She~ mustn't go outdoors, so 1 will have to ask you to • amuse her in the house. And, oh,'

Bob, do look after the kitchen fire, please.' - She was gone before Bob could answer ; she was so anxious she did not even say she was sorry Bob would have to give up his long.-looked-for Saturday afternoon, which he could have all "to himself. All the spring there had been so much to do about the garden that*he really hadn't had a minute to do as he pleased in, and now that old Mrs. Holbrook had to go and- "'get sick just to spoil his fun. 'Mother was always trotting off to take care of people that didn't belong to 'her ! He wished she would consider his pleasure sometimes.He went in and banged the door hard, and helped binv self to freshly baked heavily sugared jumbles from the big trayful on the kitchen table.

Rose, who had had a long siege of whooping coughsuch a foolish, disease, -Bob thought— was cutting out pictures at the dining-room table. She looked quite thin and white for a little girl -.named Rose, but she looked up happily when Bob entered.

'Hi, Bobby!' she said, in her jolly little chuckle. You have to be my. muvvor this day. Hallo, Mmwer Bob ! „ * Bob. had to smile, " ' Well, kidlet, what do you want to Jo most of all? Go on cutting out pictures?' ' No. I'm tired of that., TWhat I want to do' is to •' write a story 'bout my "Moses. You must -write it, an I'll tell you what to write.- She is the most cunaiingest kitten that^ ever was. She does more funny things than that kittie you read, about last week ' w,-?n b T? Went & aper and penci1 ' whicn he put down what 6 w^loing' o^° SeS . climbedu P *«Me her to see +«n"fe P0 ? c 70 \ hegin the stor 5 r wbile I 'run out and • TWt X + n°i a T fc g ° h l m ?% w , iWl h im this afternoon. Don t stir • till I come back, will you, Rose How long ? ' asked Rose, anxiously" Q nlr° h 'w in^ c v. or **°; you can, write on the paper but don't- get down out ol your "chair' -

' It's a, plagued shame !' said Roy, when Bob .told him. ' Can't you tie, her up somehow, arid "come on for a little while ?' ' She's as good. as- tied now, 1 ' said Bob," ' for she's promised me not to stir,.' • Hark ! What's that ? ' asked Roy. ,Both-boys listened. ' Sounds like a brass band ' said Bob. - * .

' Let's rundown to the turn to- see' what' it is.' Both boys ra/n to the t"urn,~and far, far down" the road they saw a cloud of" dust. They watched it for a moment. • A circus !' gasped Bob.

It was the first time in the lifetime of those' two

boys that- a circus had come to their little farming to*wn. Bob and Roy forgot poor little Rose, arid tore down the road to meet the circus. It was a long time before Bob remembered. Then his conscience \) smote Ihim terribly. 'Poor .little, kid !' he thought;' 'I ought to go back to her.' But just then a- bear began, cutting, up' .as if he (| wanted to escape, and all the animals turned restless, and there was so inudh.. excitement that Bob forgot again. The circus had turned -"down a long, level road, and- Bob was quite a ways from home when . he thought of Rose . again. It was° getting. Jate in .the afternoon, and with a great effort he turned his face homeward. As he looked toward his home," which was almost out of sight, he saw a big, golden blaze.' 1 Looks like a fire,' he thought to himself. Then like •a flash came the memory of his mother's warning to .look after the fire. He -turned suddenly faint. What if the ''house was on fire and Rose was burned; to death ! She would -not stir from that chair, when she had promised 'honor bright.' He flew like the wind up the road, bending his head and speeding as he had often done in racing with -the boys. His fright made him ' swift. He did not stop for anything, but went on— on —on with the horrible fear -in his heart. He hardly dared look up till, hjo was ' almost home then he gave a gasp of relief. "The fire was nothing more or. less than the setting sun blazing on the upper windows., ' _.*-*•

J-Ie stole softly into the house. -There 1 was poor lit-i tie Rose, her head on her arms. She was -talking: to herself. ' ~ - -, b * ' I hope nuffin' dreadful has happened' to my darling brother Bob. He "said he would come back in a "minute an seems as if it was a long minuter and I know my own dear brother Bob wouldn't go oft and leave his little sick sister all alo-o-one. Maybe a big bear's ate him. But I can't go to see 'cause I promised "honor bright." I've had time "to have > a whole long nap. 1 didn't s^-pose a minute was so long: -Did- you, Moses?' - " & v . *? ob tiptoed softly up behind her. and picked her up ln yy i l ?I m F- lle hu BS ed " her hard,- and cuddled her and told her wonderful stones with .animals-'in " them that barked anjd mewed and 'crowed and growled,' and Rosa forgot all the lonely time,, and thought her big brother Bob was. the dearest .that . ever was." And after that day she was not mistaken, -for .Bob -never forgot his little jsister again. - ~