ermined to find fault someway. "You haven't any business to go around
the country setting your dog on people. I shall have an awful bill
to pay some day, Jasper--an awful bill!" he continued, getting up and
commencing to pace up and down the floor in extreme irritation.

"Father," cried the boy, half laughing, half vexed, springing to his
side, and keeping step with him, "we found her brother; he came along
when we were by the side of the road. We couldn't go any further, for
the poor little thing was all tired out. And don't you think they live
over in Badgertown, and--"

"Well," said the old gentleman, pausing in his walk, and taking out
his watch to wonder if that paper would ever come, "she had probably
followed the organ-man; so it served her right after all."

"Well, but father," and the boy's dark eyes glowed, "she was such a
cunning little thing! she wasn't more than four years old; and she had
such a pretty little yellow head; and she said so funny--'I want Polly."

"Did she?" said the old gentleman, getting interested in spite of
himself; "what then?"

"Why, then, sir," said Jasper, delighted at his success in diverting
his thoughts, "Prince and I waited--and waited; and I was just going to
bring her here to ask you what we should do, when--" "Dear me!" said
the old gentleman, instinctively starting back as if he actually saw the
forlorn little damsel, "you needn't ever bring such people here, Jasper!
I don't know what to do with them, I'm sure!"

"Well," said the boy, laughing, "we didn't have to, did we, Prince?"
stroking the big head of the dog who was slowly following the two as
they paced up and down, but keeping carefully on the side of his master;
"for just as we really didn't know what to do, don't you think there was
a big wagon came along, drawn by the ricketiest old horse, and a boy in
the wagon looking both sides of the road, and into every bush, just as
wild as he could be, and before I could think, hardly, he spied us, and
if he didn't jump! I thought he'd broken his leg--"

"And I suppose he just abused you for what you had done," observed the
old gentleman, petulantly; "that's about all the gratitude there is in
this world."

"He didn't seem to see me at all," said the boy. "I thought he'd eat the
little girl up."

"Ought to have looked out for her better then," grumbled the old
gentleman, determined to find fault with somebody.

"And he's a splendid fellow, I just know," cried Jaspe