ame
time, had made their impeded way to the house, the little one had
begun to find their ardour a shade embarrassing. To him there were
lots of things better than being hugged and kissed. This shining green
backwoods world was quite new to his city born eyes, and he wanted to
find out all about it, at once, for himself. He began struggling
vigorously to get down out of the imprisoning arms.

"Put me down, Unc' Joe!" he demanded. "I want to play with my
doggie."

"All right, Kid," responded Joe, complying instantly. "Here Sonny,
Sonny, come an' git acquainted with the Kid!"

"Yes, come and see the Kid, Sonny!" reechoed the woman, devouring the
little yellow head with her eyes. His real name was Alfred, but Joe
had called him "the Kid," and that was to be his appellation
thenceforth.

Hearing his name called, Sonny emerged from his kennel and came
forward, but not with his wonted eagerness. Very soberly, but with
prompt obedience he came, and thrust his massive head under Joe's hand
for the accustomed caress. But the caress was not forthcoming. Joe
simply forgot it, so absorbed was he, his gaunt, weather-beaten face
glowing and melting with smiles as he gazed at the child.

"Here's your dawg, Kid!" said he, and watched delightedly to see how
the little one would go about asserting proprietorship.

The woman was the more subtle of the two in her sympathies. "Sonny,"
she said, pulling the dog forward, "here's the Kid, yer little master.
See you mind what he tells you, and see you take good keer o' him."

Sonny wagged his tail obediently, his load of misery lightening under
the touch of his mistress's hand. He leaned against her knees,
comforted for a moment, though his love was more for the man than for
her. But he would not look at the Kid. He shut his eyes with an
expression of endurance as the little one's hand patted him vehemently
on the face, and his stub tail stopped wagging. In a dim way he
recognized that he must not be uncivil to this small stranger who had
so instantaneously and completely usurped his place. But beyond this
he could think of nothing but his master, who had grown indifferent.
Suddenly, with a burst of longing for reconciliation, he jerked
abruptly away from the child's hands, wriggled in between Joe's legs,
and strove to climb up and lick his face.

At the look of disappointment which passed over the child's face Joe
Barnes felt a sudden rush of anger. Stupidly misunderstanding, he
tho