Russ paused. He could see that something was wrong, as he said afterward. Russ was a quick thinker. Also he was always making things about the house. These were mostly things with which to play and have a good time, though once he built a bench for his mother. The only trouble was that he didn’t make the legs strong enough, and when Norah O’Grady, the cook, set a tub of water on the bench the legs caved in and there was a “mess” in the kitchen. “Has anything happened?” asked Russ, for he could see that his mother and his two small sisters had come out on the porch with some special idea in mind. “Violet’s doll is gone,” explained Mrs. Bunker. “She left it on the porch, and she feels sad over losing it. If you know anything about it, Russ——” “You mean that old Measles doll?” asked the oldest Bunker boy, laughing. “She hasn’t the measles at all—so there!” and Violet stamped her foot on the porch. “Well, she looks so—all spotted,” added Russ, with another laugh. Then, as he saw that Violet was ready to cry and that Margy was going to follow with tears, Russ added: “I guess I know where your doll is. Henry Miller just told me——” “Oh, did he take her?” cried Violet. “If he did I’ll never speak to him again and——” “Now, wait a minute!” advised Russ. “You girls always get so excited! I didn’t say Henry took your doll. I just met him and he said he saw a dog running out of our yard with something in his mouth. Maybe it was the dog that took your doll, Violet.” “Oh! Oh!” cried the little girl, and she was now sobbing in real earnest. “Oh, the dog will eat up Esmeralda!” and Margy added her tears to those of Violet. “I’ll go down the street and look for her,” quickly offered Russ. He was a kind boy that way. Of course he didn’t care for dolls, and he was anxious to start making the seesaw, nails for which he and Rose had gone after. But Russ was willing to give up his own pleasure to help his little sister. “I’ll get your doll,” he said. “I guess that dog wouldn’t carry her far after he found out she wasn’t a bone or something good to eat.” “She—she—she’s a nice doll, anyhow, so there!” sobbed Violet. “An’—an’ I—I want her!” “I guess I can find her,” offered Russ. “Here, Rose, you hold the nails.” Russ started on a run toward the front gate. Mrs. Bunker and the three girls followed. As yet Laddie and Mun Bun had not heard the excitement over the missing doll, for they were still in the back yard, “digging down to China.” Russ reached the gate, looked down the road in the direction Henry Miller had told him the dog had run with something in its mouth, and then Russ cried: “I see her! I see your doll, Vi! The dog dropped her in the street! I’ll get her for you.” Russ started on the run toward a small object lying in the dust of the road. Before Russ could reach the doll a big automobile truck swung around the corner and came straight for poor Esmeralda. “Oh, she’ll be run over!” screamed Violet. “My child!”