Part 40 (1/2)

Chicken Little looked down at Victoria's blue eyes and yellow curls appraisingly.

”Marian says she thinks Victoria is one of the prettiest dolls she's ever seen.”

”She is pretty but I don't think her dress is near as pretty as Grace Dart's. Her doll's got the loveliest pink silk and a hat and parasol to match. It's a--what do you s'pose those boys are laughing at?”

Katy broke off her sentence to ask hastily, pointing across the street.

Two boys stood there chuckling, apparently staring straight at the little girls.

The three little girls stopped for an instant indignant.

”Oh, come on,” said Chicken Little, ”it's the Howard twins and they're awful mean. Just pretend we don't see them.”

But the boys had started toward them.

The little girls had half a mind to run when one of the boys called: ”Where did you get your bodyguard?”

They looked hastily behind them--there was no one in sight.

Katy was provoked.

”You think you're awful smart, don't you?” she called back.

The boys were shaking with laughter and were now half-way across the street. The larger one began chanting: ”Mary had a little lamb,” and the other added quickly: ”His fleece was green as gra.s.s----”

The children stopped and looked around again. This time Gertie spied a small green body hovering close to Jane's white shoes.

”Poor Pete,” it remarked plaintively.

”Why Pete--you naughty bird--how did you come to follow me? What can I do? Get down, Pete--you'll spoil my dress.”

Pete was trying to climb Jane's skirts. He did not like the looks of the strange boys.

”Dear me, we'll have to take him back home,” said Gertie.

”We'll take him for you. Can he talk?”

Before Chicken Little could reply something leaped into the midst of the little group and Pete gave a heart-rending squawk. The children jumped and screamed but before they fairly understood what had happened, Pete and a big gray cat were in mortal combat. Fur and feathers flew for several awful seconds accompanied by wails from the little girls and shouts from the boys who wanted to save the parrot but hated to spoil the fight.

The Howard boys made one or two ineffectual efforts to grab Pete getting nips and scratches for their pains. Chicken Little, terrified for Pete's life, tried to seize the cat and received a vicious scratch on the arm. The others pulled her away.

A crowd was quickly gathering. Rescue came opportunely in the shape of Pat Casey who had the good sense to arm himself with a stick. A few smart blows loosened the cat's grip and it slunk away. Pete, much disheveled and shorn of some of his gayest feathers, stood blinking dazedly for a minute. Then, catching sight of Chicken Little, he hopped feebly toward her, croaking hoa.r.s.ely: ”Bust my b.u.t.tons.”

The children set up a shout.

”I guess the cat pretty nearly did bust 'em,” remarked Pat laughing.

Poor Pete was cuddled and fussed over to his heart's content. Pat offered to take him home for Chicken Little, and after much coaxing and scolding, Pete finally consented to hop on Pat's arm and permit himself to be carried homeward.

The little girls went on to the party pink with excitement. They could hardly wait to tell of Pete's adventure. Everybody wished they had brought the parrot with them. However, the doll contest soon absorbed their attention.