s paused for a
moment.

'Laddie,' he said, 'd'ye mind my wee bit dog?'

The dog capered like a frivolous cow, flopped his ears, and exhibited
himself in a cheerful, well-meaning way.

'If ye'd rather, laddie, the dog will bring ye home,' continued the man.

'Skite!' said Dick, with sullen scorn; but he went quietly after that.

At the house they were met by Christina Shine, and Dick blushed furiously
under her gaze of mild surprise. Christina had been a member of the
Summers household for over five years, ever since the death of her
mother, and had won herself a position there, something like that of a
beloved poor relation with light duties and many liberties.

'Dickie, Dickie, what have you been doing this time?' asked Miss Chris.

'Robbin' my fruit-trees, my dear. What might we do with him, d'ye think?'

Miss Chris thought for a minute with one finger pressed on her lip.

'We might let him go,' she said, with the air of one making rather a
clever suggestion.

'Na, na, na; we canna permit such crimes to go unpunished.'

'Poor boy, perhaps he's very fond of cherries,' said Chris in
extenuation.

Summers regarded the young woman dryly for a moment.

'Eh, eh, girl,' he said, 'ye'd begin to pity the very De'il himself if ye
thought maybe he'd burnt his finger.'

Dick was greatly comforted. As a general thing he writhed under sympathy,
but, strangely enough, he found it very sweet to hear her speaking words
of pity on his behalf, and to feel her soft eyes bent upon him with
gentle concern. Probably no young woman quite understands the deep
devotion she has inspired in the bosom of a small boy even when she
realises--which is rare indeed--that she is regarded with unusual
affection by Tommy or Billy or Jim. Jim is probably very young; his hair
as a rule appears to have been tousled in a whirlwind, his plain face is
never without traces of black jam in which vagrant dust finds rest, and
in the society of the adored one he is shy and awkward. The adored one
may think him a good deal of a nuisance, but deep down in the dark secret
chamber of his heart she is enshrined a goddess, and worshipped with
zealous devotion. Men may call her an angel lightly enough; Jim knows her
to be an angel, and says never a word. His romance is true, and pure, and
beautiful while it lasts--the only true, pure, and beautiful romance many
women ever inspire, and alas! they never know of it, and would not prize
it if they did.

That