Chapter IX: General Bewilderment

WHEN Mr. Glanville returned to his wife and little daughter, as he did ten minutes after he had left them, bearing a tray which held their tea, Kitty inquired eagerly where her brother was, and received the reply that, at the present moment, he was engaged in eating sponge-cakes and ices in the refreshment tent, in company with Tim Shuttleworth.

"You don't want him, do you, my dear?" asked Mr. Glanville, noticing she was looking excited, and hoping he and her mother had not acted unwisely in bringing her to the sports.

"No," Kitty responded; "but I have seen Tom Hatch. And, oh, father, what do you think? He never sent me that rabbit he told Bob he was going to give me, after all! And now I can't imagine where Fluffy came from. You may well look surprised. I consider Tom served me very shabbily. He ought not to have made a promise and then have broken it."

"I could not help pitying him when Kitty spoke to him about the rabbit," Mrs. Glanville said, smiling at the remembrance of the boy's embarrassed countenance. "It must have been very awkward for him."

"Very," agreed Mr. Glanville. "I don't wonder that you are astonished, Kitty; I confess I am."

"And I was so grateful to Tom!" exclaimed Kitty. "I thought he had been so very kind. Dear me, how puzzled I do feel!"

"The mystery now is, who made you a present of your rabbit?" Mr. Glanville said. "But, come, my dear, drink your tea, and eat something. Don't let this surprise spoil your appetite."

Kitty did not, but enjoyed her tea immensely. The junior high jump had been the last item on the programme, and after a short interval, during which most of the visitors sought the refreshment tent, it was followed by the distribution of the prizes, which were given away by the head master's wife.

It was a proud moment for Kitty when she saw her brother presented with the cup he had won for the high jump, and a prouder still when he made his way through the crowd of spectators, who cheered him heartily. He placed his prize into her hands, with the request that she would take it home for him.

"I've introduced Shuttleworth to Jack Richards, and Jack's asked us both to go back to his house to high tea with a lot of other fellows, so we shan't be going home with you," he explained. "I've father's permission to go, and he's promised to tell Mr. Shuttleworth, Tim's with me, so that will be all right."

"Oh, yes," answered Kitty, in rather a disappointed tone, for she was longing for a talk with her brother, to tell him about her interview with Tom Hatch, as well as to discuss the events of the afternoon.

"I'm glad you're having a good time, Bob," she continued more brightly, "and I'm so very proud you've won this beautiful prize."

"So am I," said Mrs. Glanville. "It is a very handsome cup, and it shall have a prominent place on the sideboard, I promise you. Go back to your friends, my boy; your father will see to us."

As soon as the prize-giving was over, Mr. and Mrs. Glanville and Kitty drove home. Mr. Shuttleworth, when informed that his nephew would not return till later, as he was going to take tea with Bob and several other Grammar School boys at Dr. Richards's, was quite satisfied, and expressed himself very pleased at Tim's having increased his number of acquaintances in the place.

Kitty, who was very tired after the excitement of the afternoon, went to bed somewhat early. But she knew she would not be able to sleep until she had seen her brother, and desired that the moment he came home he might be sent upstairs. When at last he returned, it was nearly nine o'clock, and Kitty had grown impatient.

"Tired, old girl?" he asked, as he entered his sister's room, and having turned up the gas, sat down on the edge of the bed. "We've had such a splendid time," continued he, without waiting for a reply. "Mrs. Richards had got us a first-rate tea—ham and pickles, and jams and cake; and the doctor was there, and was ever so jolly. Jack Richards has taken quite a fancy to Tim; they're the same age—that is, Jack was eleven last October, and Tim was eleven in January; and—"

"Oh, Bob, let me tell you about Tom Hatch," interposed Kitty. "I hadn't the chance of speaking to you about him this afternoon. Do you know he never sent me that rabbit he told you he'd give me? He sold it instead. It was very mean of him, wasn't it? Did you ever hear of anything meaner? I don't think I ever did, and father says the same. It makes me so cross to remember how kind I've been thinking him, and how grateful I've felt. Fancy promising to make a present and then not doing it! I can't imagine how anyone can behave like that!"

"But—but—he didn't send the rabbit, you say?" questioned Bob, every whit as astonished as Kitty and his parents had been a short while previously. "Then who did send it? What about Fluffy?"

"Ah! that's what I want to know!" exclaimed Kitty. "Isn't it puzzling? Some one must have put Fluffy in the hutch; but who?"

"Well, I am amazed, simply amazed!" declared Bob. "I should think it is puzzling! Of course I thought Hatch had sent the rabbit, as he had told me about it. I didn't speak of it till we found it in the hutch, because I knew Hatch's word wasn't to be relied on. What a muddle the whole affair is!"

"Yes," agreed Kitty. "Mother and father say the same. I've been lying here thinking of it, and the more I think the more bewildered I get. If only Fluffy could speak!"

"Or Snip," said Bob, with a laugh. "He knows as much as any one, for I expect he saw the person who brought the rabbit. Don't you remember what a row he kicked up?"

"Yes, of course, Bob," said Kitty, dropping her voice to a solemn whisper and speaking hesitatingly. "You don't think that—that it could have been Tim Shuttleworth, do you?"

"Why, no, Kitty. What could have put such an idea into your head? It's not in the least likely. If Tim had wanted to make you a present, he needn't have done it in that way."

"I suppose it's an absurd idea; but—but we hardly knew Tim then—"

"Which makes it all the more unlikely that he would think of giving you a rabbit," Bob interposed decidedly.

"You know I thought it was he who took the covered basket from behind the scullery door," the little girl reminded her brother, after a brief silence, during which they had both been pondering deeply.

"So you did. I had forgotten that for the minute." Bob paused, and after a little further reflection continued gravely, "I tell you what, we won't say a word to Tim about Tom Hatch's not having sent the rabbit; but I'll make a few inquiries and try to find out where Fluffy came from. I dare say I shall get at the truth. Lots of the Grammar School boys keep rabbits, and they'll be sure to know who keeps Angoras."

"I believe Fluffy is pure-bred," observed Kitty complacently. "The butcher's boy said so, and I expect he knows."

"I dare say. Perhaps it was foolish of me to take it for granted that Tom Hatch had kept his word; but when I saw the rabbit I never dreamt of suspecting it came from anyone else. Not a word to Tim, mind."

"Oh, no, and we must tell mother and father not to mention the matter to him! Oh, Bob, if it should have been Tim—"

"Well, what then?"

"I—haven't been always nice to him," the little girl admitted, "and I've thought that he was spiteful and untruthful. Suppose I should have been quite wrong? He has been very kind to me since I fell off the apple tree—often I should have been dreadfully dull if he hadn't come in and talked to me. And if I find out that he gave me my dear Fluffy, I shall feel so bad about having been against him."

"Oh, well, I wouldn't worry about that," was the careless response. "You know I took against him at first, but I soon found out he was a jolly nice fellow, and he's very generous. His uncle tipped him half-a-crown before he started for the sports this afternoon, and he stood Richards and me sponge-cakes and ices—fourpenny ices, too. He would do it."

Kitty sighed. Hearing this made her more than ever inclined to believe that she had greatly misjudged the boy next door.

Meanwhile, Tim was being questioned by Mr. Shuttleworth as to how he had spent the afternoon and evening; and, finding his uncle appeared really interested in his doings, he gave him a glowing account of the athletic sports, which told how much he had enjoyed them.

"I should like you to see Bob Glanville's cup which he won for the high jump, Uncle John," he said. "I am sure he would be pleased to show it to you. Don't you think his people must be very proud of him?"

"I dare say they are," Mr. Shuttleworth replied. "He is a fine, handsome boy. So the girl has quite recovered from the results of her accident?"

"Oh, yes; she went with us this afternoon, you know. She's still a bit lame, but she's nearly all right; and she's going back to school on Monday—she isn't keen to go, but Mrs. Glanville says, as she was well enough to go to the sports, she must be well enough to go to school. Bob introduced me to a lot of boys, uncle, but I think I like Jack Richards the best. Wasn't it jolly of him to ask me to his house to tea? His father said he might. Do you know Dr. Richards, uncle?"

"Merely by sight. I am thankful to say I have never needed his professional services. But I have heard him well spoken of as a clever doctor, and I believe he is very popular in the town. How would you like to be a pupil at the B— Grammar School, Tim?"

"As a boarder, do you mean, Uncle John? Father is always talking of sending me to boarding-school, but I don't believe he can afford it. How I wish he could send me to the Grammar School here!"

"You would like that?"

"Rather! But it's so far away from home—my journey money to and from for the holidays would be so much, wouldn't it?"

"I think B— suits you," Mr. Shuttleworth observed, regarding his nephew thoughtfully. "You are looking much better than when you arrived."

"And I am feeling better," Tim rejoined brightly. "I used to get so shaky sometimes, but now I never do."

Mr. Shuttleworth nodded, well pleased. "Tim," he began seriously by-and-by, "I've been considering that I do not altogether like your receiving so much hospitality from our neighbours next door without your making some return."

"Oh, Uncle John!" cried Tim, fearing he was going to be told that he must not continue to run in and out of the Glanvilles' home.

"What do you say to asking the Glanville children to spend next Saturday afternoon with you here?" suggested Mr. Shuttleworth. "Deborah would do her best to get you a nice tea, I'm certain."

"Oh!" Tim's tone had changed to one of surprise and pleasure, whilst his face was one broad beam of delight. "I am sure Kitty and Bob will be very pleased to come; Kitty was saying the other day she had never seen the inside of your house."