earnestly.

"I didn't believe you would," said Miss Bradley, with a kind smile. "I
think Sadie must be mistaken. But still, to quiet her--and all of you,"
she added, looking at the pupils, "I will look in Bunny's desk. I am
quite sure I will find nothing more than a book or a piece of paper that
may have moved, making Sadie think it was a mouse."

Miss Bradley went to Bunny's desk. All the desks in the room were of the
sort with a lid that raised up and down on hinges, like the cover of a
box. As Miss Bradley came near Bunny's desk she noticed that the top was
raised a little way, leaving a crack of an opening. Bunny had put one of
his books in hurriedly, and the desk lid rested on this.

As the teacher raised the desk lid and looked in, the room was very
quiet. Some of the girls almost held their breaths. One of them covered
her eyes with her hands, lest she might, by accident, see the mouse.

Sadie West leaned forward eagerly, anxious, in a way, that a mouse
should be found, for that would make her story true, and she was sure,
in her own mind, that she had seen a mouse. Bunny, too, looked eagerly
at Miss Bradley, and so did Sue, from the other side of the room.

"Grab a book, everybody!" said Charlie Star in a hoarse whisper to the
other boys. "Grab a book, and if the mouse runs out we'll bang him!"

Charlie was an active little chap, almost as lively as Bunny Brown
himself.

Miss Bradley heard what Charlie said and, with the desk lid half raised,