Jill's Red Bag

t six o'clock, the birds were singing, and the sun was streami

bed and peeped out of the window. It was a morning that would tempt any one out of doors. She saw a bright blue sky and sunny m

y at a thought that fl

e passage. Turning the handle of Jack's d

rang up

I am. What

e truant

lly! Wh

d sat on the bo

ss Falkner sends Bumps and me down at half-past seven, and breakfast isn't ready till

re shall

atter? I'll go back and w

nd Bumps, a sleepy fat bundle,

delighted, and was full of

htream; and do you think I might take a umblella, because it might come on

lkner. You needn't take anything, you little

ers till Jill refused to respond, and then she confided the whole plan

ey were dismissed, and scampered down-stairs. Jill had quietly conveyed their hats and boots into

ticed them but thought they were going into the garden,

ll we come to a nice field," sa

truant!" said Bumps importantly

ap into the air and catching it; "we'r

ot and breathless with her eager re

panted ruefully; "pleath le

hold of her

n after us. Now, Jack, let us go across this field, it leads down to t

larks were rising in the air singing their morning hymn of praise, and the children broke into

mentary one. Two or three figs, some bits of cake and one orange were divided into three equal portions. The novelty of suc

k from the riv

ome fishes," objected B

e go home. You can't be th

, and looked at the

and stockings, and go through it like

Jack. "We'll play at go

ooked

e're doing a wicked thing to play truant, and you have to be good when you'r

umps fell with a splash once, grazing her hands and knees against the stones and soaking her dress and pinafore, but Bumps' tumbles were so frequent that they passed unnoticed. When they

complained Jill. "I thought truants

." So again Jack's hoard was brought out, and more bits of c

is doing," said Jack, "do yo

me on, we must make some ad

id Jack, "and pretend we're

. A suitable tree was found, and up went nimble Jack, fo

ailed entirely, so she sat

t difficulty she was hoisted up, but when she was comfortably settle

king down upon them with pity; "the

wild beast coming, look out!

d out of a private park near. The chil

nd then saw them, and in a moment he had dashed away through the bushes. I

d, and she lifted up her v

Jill, come back! Take m

ng hold of the branch with her hot little hands and regar

y, and then suddenly a young man with a gun across

y. "I'm left behind. Come and take

t her in astonishment, the

arth did a small mite like

bbed Bumps. "They've r

p the tree, and in another minute Bu

r face wreathed in smiles. "Now pl

'm in a hurry. If you come along with me I will put you in

m quite reassured, tal

she's our governess. She takes me in her lap, and I like her. Does your gun go off? Are you killing any one? Jack likes guns. I don't! Jill and h

ntance till they reached the ro

live? Can you fi

then put one finger in h

road, I'm afraid,

child?" the young ma

e," said Bumps

e? Your mother's

, we never talks about them. My na

ur othe

ie Ba

man whistl

ster, Miss Baron. You have just come

ccompany Bumps back as he had

ctly content

croth, he won't let us go into his wood at all. But Barker is very nithe. He has a little boy who tumbled on the f

r friend were at the hall door, and

ave been looking for you ever

d his hat and stepped forwa

cher's the other day. How very kind of you to take pity on m

d Bumps, staring at her sister g

been out all the morning looking for you. I

o the drawing-room, and Sir

ll say if their day was spoilt because of her? And what would Miss Falkner say? Great

et her with a

where have

and buried her

were truants, but I've come ba

s very naughty to go away as you

d to check

, and I oughtn't to have come back at all. Jill thaid we mo

re Jack

r and never came back; and I waited till

she was tired and hungry, so she wisely said no more, but gave her some di

s. They pursued the deer with such zeal that they missed t

k, impatiently, "we shall lose all our d

e's always a bother when we bring he

bject of it, but no Bumps. Jack climbed up the tree and they

k decisively. "We'll just e

uants is very dul

I thought I should. We have no adv

lost

s. It's only fun to the one lost. She may

hall we

to do but just walk o

which was a small one, and then got over a hedge into

dfully thirsty," she said.

my!" the small

boy like a small whirlwind and knocked him down. Over went the can o

I'll teach him m

s. She cheered him on lustily, and longed to be in the fray herself. But the small boy proved to be a better pugilist than Jack,

e have s

said Jac

me thruppence for

pocket and threw thr

'll have you punished for f

his shoulder, and ran off. Jack raised

bump on the ground," he sai

have such a black eye! And your shirt

hit. I believe he must have a wooden body. Let's f

d found a stream. When Jack had

oing to be much fun to-day, I can see. We ought to h

nearly tea-time. I do h

en a failure, but then she had not been vanquished in a fight. Ja

me. They stole softly up-stairs, but wer

hem in silence,

ave both enjo

is room and shut his

Jill asked in a

u put yourself tidy, Jill, I will have

of blame

edroom with a little

little self in the glass. "I think it would have been much better if I h