"What in the world am I to do ?" At this moment there was an acidulated voice from the kitchen.
"Mrs.Whittaker wants to see you, Mrs.Chester," it cried, "right away!" "Oh, dear!" said she.

"Here is more trouble! Mrs.Whittaker is an invalid lady who is so nervous that she could not sleep one night because she heard a man had killed a snake at the back of the barn, and what she will say when she hears that we have a bear here without a master I do not know.

I must go to her, and I do wish you could think of something that I can do;" as she said this she looked at me as if it were a natural thing for her to rely upon me.

For a moment it made me think of the star that had winked the night before.
Mrs.Chester hurried into the house, and in company with the stable-man I crossed the yard towards the bear.
"You are sure he is gentle ?" said I.
"Mild as milk!" said the man.

"I was a-playin' with him last night.
He'll let you do anything with him! If you box his ears, he'll lay over flat down on his side!" When we were within a few feet of the bear he sat upright, dangled his fore paws in front of him, and, with his head on one side, he partly opened his mouth and lolled out his tongue.