e care of Lily!" said papa. Rose wagged her tail for "yes,
sir!" and off they went. She trotted along by Lily's side. Lily felt
very grand to go to the store all alone. She didn't know that Rose was
taking care of her.

All at once Rose caught Lily's dress in her teeth. They were just
going to cross the track.

"Let me go!" said Lily. But Rose pulled her back hard. Lily looked up
and down the track. There was no train in sight. But Rose _heard_ it
shake the ground. "You shall let me go!" cried Lily. "Bad Rose!" and
she jerked the dress, and tore it out of Rose's teeth, and ran. Then
Rose jumped right at Lily and threw her down on the ground, and
dragged her back again.

Just that instant the train thundered round the curve. But Lily was
safe. How the men in the train cheered! how the ladies waved their
handkerchiefs! Rose hadn't any handkerchief, but she waved her tail,
and that is all a dog can do.

Wouldn't you pat her big head too, and call her "good old Rose?"

[Illustration: GOOD OLD ROSE.]

AUNT PATTY'S PETS.

Aunt Patty lives in a little bit of a house. It has only two rooms. In
summer it is covered with vines--grapevines, morning glories and
flowering beans. It is cosey as a bird's nest and it is brimful of
pets.

[Illustration: PANSY AND PICKWICK PAY A VISIT TO THE BIRDS.]

If you should call on aunt Patty, just as soon as you stepped into
the yard, out would fly Gypsy, barking furiously. But he would not
bite you. O, no! He only barks to let aunt Patty know you are coming.

Then, when you opened the door, a sharp little voice would say
"Good-morning! walk in." That is the gray parrot, Nick. As you walked
into the kitchen, Pansy and Pickwick would come up to you and purr,
and put up their heads to be rubbed.

In one window you would see two canaries in a cage. In the other would
be a cage full of gay little African birds.

If it were winter there would be a cage of big birds. But in summer
aunt Patty keeps these big birds in the garden near the woodhouse.

[Illustration: GYPSY.]

Where did aunt Patty get so many pets? They were given to her.
Everybody knows that she likes pets. A sailor cousin once brought her
a turtle. It is quite big enough for you to ride on. This turtle lives
in the cellar in the winter, and in the garden in the summer.

Somebody sent her a small alligator once, but she did not keep it. She
likes pretty pets.

"Do your pets ever quarrel?" I asked aunt Patty once