Why, it's a cow," she cried, "a beautiful little brown-eyed cow."

Terry barked again, and then a voice outside the hedge said: "Yes, and
I've just bought her."

"Launcelot," screamed both of the girls, delightedly, and opened the
gate wide.

CHAPTER XXVI

JUDY PLAYS LADY BOUNTIFUL

"Down, Terry," commanded the Captain, as the little dog went for the
mild-eyed cow, but the mild-eyed cow seemed perfectly able to take care
of herself, and as she lowered her horns, Terry retired discreetly to a
safe place between the Captain's knees, where he wagged an ingratiating
tail.

Launcelot and the cow stood framed in the rose-covered gateway.

"Yes, I've bought a cow," explained the big boy, who was dusty but
cheerful, "and we are going to have our own butter and milk, and if
there is any over, I'll sell it."

"You have my order now," said the Judge, handsomely.

"Thank you, sir," said Launcelot, and Anne cried:

"Oh, Launcelot, make it in little pats stamped with a violet, and label
it, 'From the Violet Farm.'"

"That's not a bad idea," commended the Captain, "novelties like that
take, and if the butter is good, you may get a market for more than you
can make."

"Then I will get another cow and enlarge my hothouse, and between the
butter and the violets I guess I can bring up my college fund," and
Launcelot looked so hopeful that they all smiled in sympathy.

"Where did you get her?" asked Judy, as she patted the pretty creature
on the head.

"I bought her a mile or so out in the country, and I tell you I hated
to take her after I had paid the money."

"Why?" asked Anne.

"Oh, they were so poor, and the cow was the only thing they had. There
is a widow, named McSwiggins, with six children, and I guess they have
had a pretty hard time, and now their taxes are due and the interest
and two of them have had the typhoid fever, and are just skin and bone,
and they had to sell the cow, and they cried, and I felt like a thief
when I carried her off."

"Oh, poor things," cried Judy, when Launcelot finished his breathless
recital, "poor things."

"I didn't want to take her, after I found out, but Mrs. McSwiggins said
that they needed the money awfully, and that I was doing them a
favor--only it was hard, and then she cried and the children all cried,
too."

"Why haven't they told some one before this?" asked the Judge, wiping
his eyes.

"I guess the mother is too proud. They are from the South and they