"I see he does, though he tries to seem as brightand pleasant as ever. I do not wonder, and I've beenthinking what I could do to soothe his feelings. Canyou suggest any thing? ""Cuff-buttons. I saw some jolly ones over at Berryville,oxidized silver, with dogs' heads on them,yellow eyes, and all as natural as could be. Those,now, would just suit him for his go-to-meeting whiteshirts, -- neat, appropriate, and in memoriam."Miss Celia could not help laughing, it was such aboyish suggestion; but she agreed to it, thinkingThorny knew best, and hoping the yellow-eyed dogswould be as balm to Ben's wounds.

 

　　"Well, dear, you may give those, and Lita shallgive the little whip with a horse's foot for a handle, ifit is not gone. I saw it at the harness shop in town;and Ben admired it so much that I planned to give itto him on his birthday.""That will tickle him immensely; and if you'djust let him put brown tops to my old boots, and sticka cockade in his hat when he sits up behind the phae-ton, he'd be a happy fellow," laughed Thorny, whohad discovered that one of Ben's ambitions was to bea tip-top groom.""No, thank you; those things are out of place inAmerica, and would be absurd in a small countryplace like this. His blue suit and straw hat pleaseme better for a boy; though a nicer little groom, inlivery or out, no one could desire, and you may tellhim I said so.""I will, and he'll look as proud as punch; for hethinks every word you say worth a dozen from any oneelse. But won't you give him something? Just somelittle trifle, to show that we are both eating humblepie, feeling sorry about the mouse money.""I shall give him a set of school-books, and try toget him ready to begin when vacation is over. Aneducation is the best present we can make him; andI want you to help me fit him to enter as well is hecan. Bab and Betty began, little dears, -- lent himtheir books and taught all they knew; so Ben got ataste, and, with the right encouragement, would liketo go on, I am sure.""That's so like you Celia! Always thinking ofthe best thing and doing it handsomely. I'll helplike a house a-fire, if he will let me; but, all day, he'sbeen as stiff as a poker, so I don't believe he forgivesme a bit.""He will in time, and if you are kind and patient,he will be glad to have you help him. I shall makeit a sort of favor to me on his part, to let you see tohis lessons, now and then. It will be quite true, forI don't want you to touch your Latin or algebra tillcool weather; teaching him will be play to you."Miss Celia's last words made her brother unbendhis brows, for he longed to get at his books again,and the idea of being tutor to his "man-servant" didnot altogether suit him.

 

　　"I'll tool him along at a great pace, if he will onlygo. Geography and arithmetic shall be my share,and you may have the writing and spelling; it givesme the fidgets to set copies', and hear children makea mess of words. Shall I get the books when I buythe other things? Can I go this afternoon?""Yes, here is the list; Bab gave it to me. You cango if you will come home early and have your toothfilled."Gloom fell at once upon Thorny's beaming face, andhe gave such a shrill whistle that his sister jumped inher chair, as she added, persuasively, --"It won't hurt a bit, now, and the longer youleave it the worse it will be. Dr. Mann is ready atany time; and, once over, you will be at peace formonths. Come, my hero, give your orders, and takeone of the girls to support you in the trying hour.

 

　　Have Bab; she will enjoy it, and amuse you withher chatter.""As if I needed girls round for such a trifle asthat!" returned Thorny with a shrug, though hegroaned inwardly at the prospect before him, as mostof us do on such occasions. "I wouldn't take Babat any price; she'd only get into some scrape, andupset the whole plan. Betty is the chicken for me, --a real little lady, and as nice and purry as a kitten.""Very well; ask her mother, and take good careof her. Let her tuck her dolly in, and she will becontented anywhere. There's a fine air, and theawning is on the phaeton, so you won't feel the sun.

 

　　Start about three, and drive carefully."Betty was charmed to go, for Thorny was a sort ofprince in her eyes; and to be invited to such a grandexpedition was an overwhelming honor. Bab was notsurprised, for, since Sancho's loss, she had felt herselfin disgrace, and been unusually meek; Ben let her"severely alone," which much afflicted her, for he washer great admiration, and had been pleased to expresshis approbation of her agility and courage so often,that she was ready to attempt any fool-hardy feat torecover his regard. But vainly did she risk her neckjumping off the highest beams in the barn, trying tokeep her balance standing on the donkey's back, andleaping the lodge gate at a bound; Ben vouchsafedno reward by a look, a smile, a word of commendation;and Bab felt that nothing but Sancho's returnwould ever restore the broken friendship.

 

　　Into faithful Betty's bosom did she pour forth herremorseful lamentations, often bursting out with thepassionate exclamation, "If I could only find Sanch,and give him back to Ben, I wouldn't care if Itumbled down and broke all my legs right away!"Such abandonment of woe made a deep impressionon Betty; and she fell into the way of consoling hersister by cheerful prophecies, and a firm belief thatthe organ-man would yet appear with the lost darling.

 

　　"I've got five cents of my berry money, and I'llbuy you an orange if I see any," promised Bettystepping to kiss Bab, as the phaeton came to thedoor, and Thorny handed in a young lady whosewhite frock was so stiff with starch that it crackledlike paper.

 

　　"Lemons will do if oranges are gone. I like 'emto suck with lots of sugar," answered Bab, feelingthat the sour sadly predominated in her cup justnow.

 

　　"Don't she look sweet, the dear!" murmured Mrs.

 

　　Moss, proudly surveying her youngest.

 

　　She certainly did, sitting under the fringed canopywith "Belinda," all in her best, upon her lap, as sheturned to smile and nod, with a face so bright andwinsome under the little blue hat, that it was no wondermother and sister thought there never was such aperfect child as "our Betty."Dr. Mann was busy when they arrived, but wouldbe ready in an hour; so they did their shopping atonce, having made sure of the whip as they camealong. Thorny added some candy to Bab's lemon,and Belinda had a cake, which her mamma obliginglyate for her. Betty thought that Aladdin's palacecould not have been more splendid than the jeweller'sshop where the canine cuff-buttons were bought;but when they came to the book-store, she forgotgold, silver, and precious stones, to revel in picture-books, while Thorny selected Ben's modest schooloutfit. Seeing her delight, and feeling particularlylavish with plenty of money in his pocket, the younggentleman completed the child's bliss by telling herto choose whichever one she liked best out of thepile of Walter Crane's toy-books lying in bewilderingcolors before her.

 

　　"This one; Bab always wanted to see the dreadfulcupboard, and there's a picture of it here," answeredBetty, clasping a gorgeous copy of "Bluebeard" tothe little bosom, which still heaved with the raptureof looking at that delicious mixture of lovely Fatimasin pale azure gowns, pink Sister Annes on the turrettop, crimson tyrants, and yellow brothers with forestsof plumage blowing wildly from their mushroom-shaped caps.

 

　　Very good; there you are, then. Now, comeon, for the fun is over and the grind begins," saidThorny, marching away to his doom, with his tonguein his tooth, and trepidation in his manly breast.

 

　　"Shall I shut my eyes and hold your head?"quavered devoted Betty, as they went up the stairsso many reluctant feet had mounted before them.

 

　　"Nonsense, child, never mind me! You look outof window and amuse yourself; we shall not be long,I guess;" and in went Thorn silently hoping thatthe dentist had been suddenly called away, or someperson with an excruciating toothache would be waitingto take ether, and so give our young man anexcuse for postponing his job.

 

　　But no; Dr. Mann was quite at leisure, and, full ofsmiling interest, awaited his victim, laying forth hisunpleasant little tools with the exasperating alacrityof his kind. Glad to be released from any share inthe operation, Betty retired to the back window tobe as far away as possible, and for half in hour wasso absorbed in her book that poor Thorny mighthave groaned dismally without disturbing her.

 

　　"Done now, directly, only a trifle of polishing offand a look round," said Dr. Mann, at lat; andThorny, with a yawn that nearly rent him asunder,called out, --"Thank goodness! Pack up, Bettykin.""I'm all ready!" and, shutting her book with astart, she slipped down from the easy chair in a greathurry.

 

　　But "looking round" took time; and, before thecircuit of Thorny's mouth was satisfactorily made,Betty had become absorbed by a more interestingtale than even the immortal "Bluebeard." A noiseof children's voices in the narrow alley-way behindthe house attracted her attention; the long windowopened directly on the yard, and the gate swung inthe wind. Curious as Fatima, Betty went to look;but all she saw was a group of excited boys peepingbetween the bars of another gate further down.

 

　　"What's the matter?" she asked of two smallgirls, who stood close by her, longing but not daringto approach the scene of action.

 

　　"Boys chasing a great black cat, I believe,"answered one child.

 

　　"Want to come and see?" added the other,politely extending the invitation to the stranger.

 

　　The thought of a cat in trouble would have nervedBetty to face a dozen boys; so she followed at once,meeting several lads hurrying away on some importanterrand, to judge from their anxious countenances.

 

　　"Hold tight, Jimmy, and let 'em peek, if they wantto. He can't hurt anybody now," said one of thedusty huntsmen, who sat on the wide coping of thewall, while two others held the gate, as if a cat couldonly escape that way.

 

　　"You peek first, Susy, and see if it looks nice,"said one little girl, boosting her friend so that shecould look through the bars in the upper part of thegate.

 

　　"No; it 's only an ugly old dog!" respondedSusy, losing all interest at once, and descending witha bounce.

 

　　"He's mad! and Jud's gone to get his gun, so wecan shoot him!" called out one mischievous boy,resenting the contempt expressed for their capture.

 

　　"Ain't, neither!" howled another lad from hisperch. "Mad dogs won't drink; and this one islapping out of a tub of water.""Well, he may be, and we don't know him, and hehasn't got any muzzle on, and the police will kill him ifJud don't," answered the sanguinary youth who hadfirst started the chase after the poor animal, whichhad come limping into town, so evidently a lostdog that no one felt any hesitation in stoning him.

 

　　"We must go right home; my mother is dreadful'fraid of mad dogs, and so is yours," said Susy;and, having satisfted their curiosity, the young ladiesprudently retired.

 

　　But Betty had not had her "peep," and could notresist one look; for she had heard of these unhappyanimals, and thought Bab would like to know howthey looked. So she stood on tip-toe and got a goodview of a dusty, brownish dog, lying on the grassclose by, with his tongue hanging out while hepanted, as if exhausted by fatigue and fear, for hestill cast apprehensive glances at the wall whichdivided him from his tormentors.

 

　　His eyes are just like Sanch's," said Betty toherself, unconscious that she spoke aloud, till she sawthe creature prick up his cars and half rise, as if hehad been called.

 

　　"He looks as if he knew me, but it isn't ourSancho; he was a lovely dog." Betty said that tothe little boy peeping in beside her; but before hecould make any reply, the brown beast stood straightup with an inquiring bark, while his eyes shone liketopaz, and the short tail wagged excitedly.

 

　　"Why, that's just the way Sanch used to do!"cried Betty, bewildered by the familiar ways of thisunfamiliar-looking dog.